Sun pays $1 billion for MySQL
In a deal that will pitch Sun directly against database giants, Oracle and IBM, Sun aims at complete operating system for the internet with MySQL buy.


Sun has today bought the open source database vendor, MySQL for a total cost of $1 billion (511 million).
The acquisition adds the $15 billion database market to Sun's targets for growth and puts the final piece of a complete, open source operating system (OS) based software stack for the internet in place.
"Today's acquisition reaffirms Sun's position at the centre of the global web economy," said Jonathan Schwartz, Sun chief executive and president.
MySQL's open source database is the 'M' in LAMP - the software platform comprised of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP/Perl often seen as key internet components. Sun said it is committed to enhancing and optimising the LAMP stack on GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows along with OpenSolaris and Apple's MAC OS X.
Sun will pay approximately $800 million (406 million) in cash in exchange for all MySQL stock and assume approximately $200 million (101.5 million) in options. The deal is expected to close in the late third or early fourth quarters of Sun's 2008 fiscal year, subject to regulatory approvals.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
A 25-year veteran enterprise technology expert, Miya Knights applies her deep understanding of technology gained through her journalism career to both her role as a consultant and as director at Retail Technology Magazine, which she helped shape over the past 17 years. Miya was educated at Oxford University, earning a master’s degree in English.
Her role as a journalist has seen her write for many of the leading technology publishers in the UK such as ITPro, TechWeekEurope, CIO UK, Computer Weekly, and also a number of national newspapers including The Times, Independent, and Financial Times.
-
M&S suspends online sales as 'cyber incident' continues
News Marks & Spencer (M&S) has informed customers that all online and app sales have been suspended as the high street retailer battles a ‘cyber incident’.
By Ross Kelly
-
Manners cost nothing, unless you’re using ChatGPT
Opinion Polite users are costing OpenAI millions of dollars each year – but Ps and Qs are a small dent in what ChatGPT could cost the planet
By Ross Kelly