Sun To Acquire MySQL For $1 Billion

Santa Clara (CA) - Sun is entering the database market and has agreed to purchase MySQL AB, developer of the popular SQL database management system SQL. Sun will shell out about $1 billion for the open source software and integrate it into its own software platform.

The investment will consist of about $800 million in cash for all of MySQL AB’s stock as well as $200 million in options. Sun said that the software will complement the firm’s virtualization, middleware and storage platforms; however, the company also hopes that MySQL will reach new customers, especially through the Sun’s OEM distribution agreements with companies such as Dell, IBM and Intel.

Following the transaction, Sun plans to immediately integrate MySQL into its software, creating a platform consisting of MySQL, Open Solaris, GlassFish, Java and NetBeans.

MySQL was first released in 1995. Employing more than 400 people in 25 countries, MySQL AB claims that the database has been downloaded more than 100 million times and is currently installed on more than 10 million systems. More than 50,000 copies of the software are downloaded every day, according to MySQL AB.