Re: [HACKERS] SAP and MySQL ... [and Benchmark]

Ron Mayer wrote:
> Jan wrote [to hackers, but I moved it to general (sorry in advance if that
> was bad)]:
>>
>>SAP failed on the attempt to open source ADABAS even more miserably than
>>Borland with Interbase. Now it looks like they found someone who said
>>"we know open source, we can do that, oh pick me, me, me, pick meeeeee!"
> 
> I wonder if the SAP deal is related to the $19.5 million round of
> venture capital MySQL AB just raised:
> 
>   http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2003/06/02/daily19.html
>   "2003-06-04...

The IMHO important quote in that article is

     He [Marten Mickos] added, "With the funds from Benchmark and others,
     we can ramp up our commercial business while continuing to support
     the open source community."

Pretty clear to me that the open source track looses importance in their 
business model - if it ever was of any importance other than being a 
marketing gag. They want to ramp up the commercial business.

I wonder what happens with all those big companies they list as current 
MySQL users when they pull out their only DB server know how to develop 
this new MySQL DB. SAP's declared intention is to get something that 
supports their product line ... so it's gotta be incompatible with the 
existing MySQL. Or is it going to be that Monty continues MySQL and they 
ramp up a new team for the new DB?

These big customers have paid license fees for commercial use. I don't 
know, but I wouldn't want to be in that line of fire when MySQL 
announces that support for the existing technology will be discontinued 
and porting to MyNewSQL is strongly recommended.


Jan

> 
>    Open-source data firm raises $19.5 million
> 
>    A Swedish open-source database developer with U.S. offices in Seattle
>    has raised $19.5 million to continue its advance into the database
> market.
> 
>    MySQL AB said its backers were led by Benchmark Capital of Palo Alto,
> Calif.,...
>   "
> 
> Could be the investors wanted to see closer business ties, and SAP's a nice
> big business to have close ties to.
> 
>    Ron



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