Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Database
    • Database

    MySQL CEO Mickos Addresses Critics, Looks to Open-Source Growth

    By
    Lisa Vaas
    -
    December 31, 2003
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Few can expect any open source-related news to escape its share of both withering scorn and good insight from venues such as Slashdot. This premise held true when a recent, independent study done by Reasoning Inc. claimed that open source database MySQL was some 6 times cleaner than comparable proprietary code.

      With the comments on Slashdot in mind, and with the knowledge that MySQL 5.0 will be announced soon, eWEEK.com Database Editor Lisa Vaas decided to catch up with MySQL AB CEO Marten Mickos to get some feedback on the community commentary and to find out what his companys planning in the new year.

      /zimages/6/28571.gif•Click here to read a sampling of Slashdot comments and to click on through to the entire discussion.

      eWEEK.com: What are your expectations, plans, hopes and wishes for MySQL as it enters the new year?

      Mickos: I believe 2004 will be a year of great economies. There will be good economy for users of Linux who expand to use the entire open-source stack. There will be good economy for all those open-source vendors who by now have a viable business model. And there will be economies of scale as open-source solutions are being duplicated, replicated and multiplied all over the world.

      /zimages/6/28571.gif

      eWEEK.com:Were seeing some up tick in the economy. How do you think that will impact MySQL?

      Mickos:I agree with the view that the economy is slowly recovering, and thats good news for everyone. That said, customers tell us that they will continue to want to do more with less, and thats why I believe that MySQLs business may grow faster in 2004 than in 2003.

      You might even claim (and I certainly believe so) that open source is one of the enablers of the economic recovery, as it allows companies to expand and deploy new systems without having to risk their financial stability.

      Next page: Mickos on taking over SAP AGs open-source database.

      SAP AGs open source


      database”>

      eWEEK.com: The release of MaxDB, once SAP AGs open-source, enterprise-level database, was a big deal for MySQL in 2003. Now that youve released it, whats the feedback? What are the plans on developing the next release?

      Mickos: MaxDB and the partnership with SAP are long-term undertakings, the full effects of which will be clearly visible over a number of years.

      Already at this point, however, we see good results. Our existing customers are coming to us to get MaxDB, and the customers of SAP are increasingly running their new apps on MaxDB.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifClick here to read about MySQLs release of MaxDB.

      We will continue to strengthen the interoperability between MaxDB and MySQL. In short, this allows customers to use MySQL when performance and ease of deployment are paramount, and MaxDB when feature-richness is paramount. And whenever it makes sense, data or entire applications can be moved from one database to the other. This allows customers to right-size their database installations and thereby save money.

      SAP AG has proven to be a great company to partner with. They are well-organized, committed and straightforward to communicate with. Despite the large size of SAP, the people are filled with an entrepreneurial spirit that you normally find only in small companies.

      Next page: User feedback is useful—whether its constructive criticism or flaming.

      Constructive criticism vs


      . flaming”>

      eWEEK.com: MySQL has been putting out the message that MySQL is a low-cost, commodity database—something that, although it isnt as full-featured or robust as the larger RDBMSes, will do just fine in many instances. But there are still plenty of DBAs—Im thinking of some Slashdot comments I read recently—that said MySQL just isnt robust enough to support transactions.

      They complain about data integrity in MySQL, lack of transactions/stored procedures, transactions that are prone to data loss, etc. I know that some of these are being addressed in the alpha of MySQL 5.0.

      Are these charges well-founded? Any comments you want to make on plans to make MySQL more robust?

      Click here to read more about the alpha of MySQL 5.0 and its features.

      For us as a company, there is nothing more welcome than feedback from our users—positive or negative. If someone goes through the trouble of posting his or her thoughts about MySQL on Slashdot, it means that he or she cares and has an interest in the product becoming even better. We chastise those whom we love.

      If we look at the substance of those comments, they fall into a number of categories: Some comments are a matter of taste, and there is no right or wrong answer. We listen carefully to these comments to understand what the majority of our users prefer, and sometimes we make changes to syntax, parameters or default settings accordingly.

      /zimages/6/28571.gifMySQL said it fixed the bugs found in Reasonings studies. Click here to read the story and find out where to download the new version.

      Some comments are based on previous versions of MySQL (or previous misconceptions about MySQL) and in such cases we try to improve our communication and product presentations. Some comments have high technical validity and feed directly into our product development plans and roadmaps. Finally, some odd comments always fall under the category of flaming. These comments typically get moderated down (on Slashdot) and get corrected by other postings.

      So when people claim that MySQL is not robust enough, we understand it as a challenge—a claim that they wish us to prove wrong. And thats what we have been doing for the past years by adding features and modules to MySQL that make it suitable for some of the most demanding applications.

      Best proof of this, in our mind, is our list of customers who depend on MySQL in their everyday business (Cisco, Yahoo, Google, Sabre, Cox Communications, Associated Press, etc.).

      Database Center Editor Lisa Vaas has written about enterprise applications since 1997.

      Lisa Vaas
      Lisa Vaas is News Editor/Operations for eWEEK.com and also serves as editor of the Database topic center. Since 1995, she has also been a Webcast news show anchorperson and a reporter covering the IT industry. She has focused on customer relationship management technology, IT salaries and careers, effects of the H1-B visa on the technology workforce, wireless technology, security, and, most recently, databases and the technologies that touch upon them. Her articles have appeared in eWEEK's print edition, on eWEEK.com, and in the startup IT magazine PC Connection. Prior to becoming a journalist, Vaas experienced an array of eye-opening careers, including driving a cab in Boston, photographing cranky babies in shopping malls, selling cameras, typography and computer training. She stopped a hair short of finishing an M.A. in English at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She earned a B.S. in Communications from Emerson College. She runs two open-mic reading series in Boston and currently keeps bees in her home in Mashpee, Mass.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×