Sun Microsystems announces agreement to acquire MySQL
ConvergenceAsia staff
17/01/2008

Sun Microsystems has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MySQL, an open source icon and developer of open source databases for approximately US$1 billion in total consideration. The acquisition accelerates Sun's position in enterprise IT to now include the $15 billion database market.

The integration with Sun will greatly extend the commercial appeal of MySQL's offerings and improve its value proposition with the addition of Sun's global services organisation. MySQL will also gain new distribution through Sun's channels including its OEM relationships with Intel, IBM and Dell.

Said Jonathan Schwartz, CEO and president, Sun Microsystems, “MySQL’s employees and culture, along with its near ubiquity across the web, make it an ideal fit with Sun's open approach to network innovation. And most importantly, this announcement boosts our investments into the communities at the heart of innovation on the Internet and of enterprises that rely on technology as a competitive weapon."

MySQL's open source database is widely deployed across all major operating systems, hardware vendors, geographies, industries and application types. The complementary product line-ups will extend MySQL's database reach and are expected to bring new markets for Sun's systems, virtualisation, middleware and storage platforms.

MySQL's open source database is the "M" in LAMP - the software platform comprised of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP/Perl often viewed as the foundation of the Internet. Sun is committed to enhancing and optimising the LAMP stack on GNU/Linux and Microsoft Windows along with OpenSolaris and MAC OS X.

The database from MySQL, OpenSolaris and GlassFish, together with Sun's Java platform and NetBeans communities, will create a powerful web application platform across a wide range of customers shifting their applications to the web.

As part of the transaction, Sun will pay approximately $800 million in cash in exchange for all MySQL stock and assume approximately $200 million in options. The transaction is expected to close in late Q3 or early Q4 of Sun's fiscal 2008.

MySQL which is headquartered in Cupertino, California and Uppsala, Sweden, has 400 employees in 25 countries. Following completion of the proposed transaction, MySQL will be integrated into Sun's Software, Sales and Services organisations.

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