Open Source Community Integral to MySQL's Successful Business Model

LINUXWORLD EXPO - (August 13, 2002) - MySQL AB, developer of the world's most popular Open Source database, today announced that the MySQL database is now bundled with key products from Sun Microsystems Inc., Apple and other leading technology companies. MySQL's high performance database is now included on Sun's new LX50 entry-level server, announced Monday, as well as on the Sun Solaris 9 Operating Environment Companion CD and on several Sun Cobalt servers. MySQL is also included with Apple's Mac OS X Server.

Increasingly bundled or integrated with leading software and other technologies as a high-speed data management system for web site and business application development, the widespread distribution of the MySQL database supports the overall business strategy for Open Source proponent MySQL AB.

"Our goal is for the MySQL database to be a part of every computing device," said Marten Mickos, MySQL CEO. "With over four million installations, MySQL has a huge and supportive community, but our potential reach is even broader. Being bundled with products from companies like Sun and Apple helps us get wide exposure for MySQL, which supports our commercial business and overall growth."

Open Source Community Integral to MySQL's Successful Business Model

From its inception, MySQL AB has passionately supported and promoted the Open Source philosophy that people should be able to freely read, redistribute, and modify the source code to promote rapid improvement and evolution of the software. With over four million installations worldwide, the MySQL Open Source community is active and growing.

The MySQL database is available at no cost under the GPL Free Software/Open Source license, and the company also provides commercial, non-GPL licenses to organizations that don't want to be bound by the GPL. With the availability of the commercial license option, leading companies are now embedding the high-performance MySQL database with major software, hardware and other electronic devices.

MySQL AB's dual-licensing structure supports its Open Source user community with a sustainable business model, and this community, in turn, is the engine behind the company's commercial business.

MySQL Included as Key Application with Leading Products

The MySQL database is now part of the software portfolio that comes with Sun's new LX50 server, the first in a line of entry-level, general-purpose systems from Sun. MySQL is also co-packaged on the Companion CD for the Solaris 9 Operating Environment, which combines traditional OS functionality, application services, and identity management. In addition, MySQL is included with several Sun Cobalt appliances, including the Sun Cobalt Qube 3, the Sun Cobalt RaQ XTR and the Sun Cobalt RaQ 550.

"For customers deploying the next wave of edge applications, MySQL's performance, ubiquity and functionality, combined with Sun's market breadth and expertise in the commercial sector, enable customers to easily and cost-effectively deploy a fast and stable database solution on a platform backed by an enterprise-class company," said Jonathan Schwartz, executive vice president, software, Sun Microsystems Inc.

The MySQL database is also included with Apple's Mac OS X Server to help extend the Apache Web server to create dynamic, lively web sites.

About MySQL AB

MySQL AB develops, markets and supports the MySQL database server, the world's most popular open source database. With an estimated four million installations and up to 20,000 downloads per day, MySQL is the de facto Open Source database leader and is quickly becoming the core of many high-volume, business-critical applications. Major corporations such as Yahoo!, Lucent Technologies, Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, Motorola, NASA, Silicon Graphics, HP, Xerox and Cisco rely on the ultra-fast, highly-reliable MySQL database. MySQL is available under the Free Software/Open Source GNU General Public License (GPL) or a non-GPL commercial license. For more information about MySQL, please go to www.mysql.com.

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MySQL is a registered trademark of MySQL AB in Sweden and is a trademark of MySQL AB in the USA and other countries. Other products mentioned are the trademarks of their respective corporations.