Oracle buys Sun

[Medyman]

Oracle is going to buy Sun Microsystems (http://www.infoq.com/news/2009/04/oraclebuyssun).

What do you think that means for MySQL?

[magicyte]

I don't think anything would happen to MySQL. After all, if they don't do anything to it, they make more money. Perhaps I'm missing the point...? I suppose I am.

[Medyman]

Well that's the question. I think it makes business sense to support MySQL. But if the MySQL developers start leaving Oracle and if it's not properly funded, development on MySQL is halted. If they "don't do anything", it'll eventually go away.

So, the question really is to what extent will Oracle support MySQL.

Oracle has a habit of buying it's competition and then killing those companies (Siebel, for example).

[magicyte]

Knowing that MySQL is one of the most popular databases I've known, and it can be accessed by PHP's functions. So if they get rid of MySQL, the "PHP" company (whatever it is :p) may make a newer version of PHP (doubt it, though) and it could be lethal. If MySQL is not funded, companies may stop supporting MySQL and thus the scripting for many sites will have to be redone. There could be many chain reactions due to Oracle's unwise idea (if they ever do get rid of MySQL). I think that they will fully fund it and pay the MySQL developers. Though it may cost much then, the outcome could be great. Though I could be incorrect in my predictions as the future can change.

Oracle is a smart company, and I think they will do what's best. It's easy to just say, "Bah! Forget MySQL. It's too much work." than "Hey- maybe we could get more money from supporting and continuing to develop and improve MySQL!"

There is risk, of course. I state what I think, and hope Oracle chooses what is best. I just don't know what is...

[jscheuer1]

One of the reasons for the proposed acquisition is that most of what Oracle does runs on Java. It would be unlikely that anything would change dramatically as far as software offerings go. However, there will likely be the inevitable upgrades and transformations that would have occurred without the merger.

But the deal isn't certain, there has been at least one other 'suitor'. Both Oracle and Sun should be good investments though, at least until the deal goes through or falls through:

"Buy on rumor. Sell on news."

[Medyman]

Knowing that MySQL is one of the most popular databases I've known, and it can be accessed by PHP's functions. So if they get rid of MySQL, the "PHP" company (whatever it is :p) may make a newer version of PHP (doubt it, though) and it could be lethal. If MySQL is not funded, companies may stop supporting MySQL and thus the scripting for many sites will have to be redone. There could be many chain reactions due to Oracle's unwise idea (if they ever do get rid of MySQL). I think that they will fully fund it and pay the MySQL developers. Though it may cost much then, the outcome could be great. Though I could be incorrect in my predictions as the future can change.

PHP works with other database systems already. (http://us3.php.net/manual/en/refs.database.vendors.php) You don't need a "newer version of PHP", whatever that means.

[magicyte]

I meant they'd take the MySQL functions out, but that won't happen.

[Medyman]

I meant they'd take the MySQL functions out, but that won't happen.

There is no sense in doing that. MySQL won't ever die. It's open source. Others are working on their own forks of MySQL. If the official distribution dies though, who fills the void? Which version do you trust?

[magicyte]

That's exactly why I said it won't happen. :D

[tfit]

What is worrying is that Oracle isn't really interested in the hardware division!
Is SUN going DEC or is Oracle going Compaq? We all remember DEC's alpha cpu had capabilities much later implemented in AMD/Intel cpu's. Sun's server cpu's are ahead in technology. It's worrying that knowledge might be lost.