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Sun Microsystems has sealed a deal to buy the world’s most popular open-source database system, MySQL, in a deal reportedly worth $1 billion.
The move would enable Sun to offer an alternative to Microsoft’s .net environment, which has so far been the most popular choice for software designers.
"This is a move that helps Sun’s strategy. It pits the LAMP stack, backed by Sun, against Microsoft .Net. It’s a strong initiative," said Noel Yuhanna, database analyst for Forrester Research.
The LAMP stack is a set of open source software that includes MySQL as the database – Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP or other dynamic scripting language. The elements of the set work easily together and can be used to build ambitious web applications.
Sun’s decision is seen by many as a way for the company to position itself as a so-called Web 2.0 company.
