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February 27th, 2006

If Oracle can buy out Open Source, why not Microsoft?

Posted by George Ou @ 1:30 am

Categories: Infrastructure

Tags:

There has been a lot of news lately about Oracle buying out Open Source companies.  Dana Blankenhorn has been giving extensive coverage to this topic as well as this piece from Tom Foremski, but it doesn’t seem to getting the kind of outrage that I expected.  Oracle seems to be hell-bent on controlling the dominant Open Source database platform MySQL to make sure it stays in its place and not encroach on the Enterprise database market, but what if Microsoft started doing the same thing?

What if Microsoft went out and bought OpenOffice.org which competes with Microsoft Office or if Microsoft bought out Open-Xchange which competes with Microsoft Exchange server?  While it’s arguable if OpenOffice.org or Open-Xchange has as high an impact on Microsoft as MySQL on Oracle, it is still interesting to contemplate.  But if Microsoft ever did make such a move, would the reaction be equally muted?  My guess is that it wouldn’t.

Ironically, Oracle’s acquisition of MySQL’s database engines has some positive benefits for Microsoft as well because Microsoft SQL server is the dominant database platform on Windows.  I wouldn’t put it past Ellison to only unleash MySQL’s Enterprise features on the Windows platform just to give Gates and Ballmer some indigestion.

George Ou is Technical Director of ZDNet. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.

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Sorry?
As a UK citizen, I most certainly do know about the EU. I voted in favour of the UK's membership of the Common Market (as it's predecessor was known) and haven't regretted it once. Also voted Labour in 1997 and have constantly regretted it since. Bloody neo-liberal thatcherites.... (Read the rest)
Posted by: bargeemike Posted on: 10/12/06 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
One reason..  Arnout Groen | 02/27/06
Okay seriously...  ju1ce | 02/27/06
Open Office  voska | 02/27/06
Only problem OIpen office is part of Sun  azbaer | 02/27/06
Buying Sun  samp_z | 02/28/06
OpenOffice.org Has some benefits.  nucrash | 02/27/06
Try it...  lhcrouch | 02/27/06
So you have no idea?  mdsmedia | 02/28/06
Because it is silly to do so  tombalablomba | 02/27/06
What do companies buy...  Anton Philidor | 02/27/06
buying customer lists  tombalablomba | 02/27/06
MySQL customers  Erik1234 | 02/27/06
Those customers who have signed contracts...  Anton Philidor | 02/27/06
Why do many OOo users (customers) use OOo?  mdsmedia | 02/28/06
Oracle did not and cannot "buy out Open Source"  LouS | 02/27/06
Software isn't only code  Arthas | 02/27/06
If it's based on the original GPL'd code it will be (NT)  ju1ce | 02/27/06
That really depends  voska | 02/27/06
The other half  Yagotta B. Kidding | 02/27/06
If anyone is using the improved product.  Anton Philidor | 02/27/06
Beware of the sleeping dog  tombalablomba | 02/27/06
Why you might have two different licenses  gardoglee | 02/27/06
Pretty much correct.....  Cayble | 02/27/06
GPL license  Loggies | 03/02/06
Software is people, but other people can fork the code  LouS | 02/27/06
Forking the code  Arthas | 02/27/06
ahem...  Scott W | 02/27/06
but, but !!  Suicida| | 02/27/06
xorg  Scott W | 03/02/06
That's the point  Arthas | 02/28/06
umm...  Scott W | 03/02/06
umm  fordman | 02/27/06
forking and linux  LouS | 02/28/06
Fork anyone?  Suicida| | 02/27/06
Software isn't only code  TokDaud | 02/27/06
Makes no sense  AmusedAtItAll | 03/03/06
Excellent point, George  Yagotta B. Kidding | 02/27/06
Purchase or defeat?  Anton Philidor | 02/27/06
Microsoft Tactics  ikeeickholdt | 02/27/06
Not to avoid being beat, but to get more $$  ajole | 02/27/06
SleepyCat  D-T-Schmitz | 02/27/06
SleepyCat, Take 2  D-T-Schmitz | 02/27/06
MS + OOo  swhiser | 02/27/06
Ambigous title, had me stop to read  voska | 02/27/06
No, just dumb luck wink  george_ou | 02/27/06
Depends on the company  Justin James | 02/27/06
Argh!  Justin James | 02/27/06
We're working on it  S.Howard-SarinZDNet Moderator | 02/27/06
please  Suicida| | 02/27/06
Yes, Novell used IBM's money.  Anton Philidor | 02/27/06
Good points  Justin James | 02/27/06
Oracle vs MySQL enterprise feature parity  Erik1234 | 02/27/06
Very True  Justin James | 02/27/06
Communities vs. Companies vs. Individuals  Erik1234 | 02/27/06
I hate ZDNet..It ate my post. (NT)  Erik1234 | 02/27/06
Sorry, I've notified the right people.  george_ou | 02/27/06
Stomping out communities  ikeeickholdt | 02/27/06
Oracle and Microsoft on purchases  nucrash | 02/27/06
RE: Oracle and Microsoft on purchases  Deleted2006 | 02/27/06
Oracle Monopilistic moves  Mp_z | 02/28/06
Free market is a Flawed System  ITTech001 | 02/27/06
Is Open Source really Open Source?  ikeeickholdt | 02/27/06
Who ever said that Open Source had to be free (as in beer)?  mdsmedia | 02/28/06
hit the nail on the head  Scott W | 03/02/06
'Open Source Community' is mostly a myth  siberian1967 | 02/27/06
Not true !  anti-zdnet-hype | 03/03/06
Free Market is Broken  ITTech001 | 02/27/06
Free market NOT broken  Hameiri | 02/27/06
What free market?  bargeemike | 02/28/06
Not that you know anything about the EU.  jsargent | 02/28/06
Sorry?  bargeemike | 10/12/06
Running out of innovation ?  tarry.singh@... | 02/27/06
Forking the code  Arthas | 02/27/06
well  Suicida| | 02/27/06
Can you trust your auntie?  enth88@... | 02/27/06
Microsoft *has* bought Open source software  toadlife | 02/27/06
If Microsoft can buy bloggers, why not linux?  fernando.cassia@... | 02/27/06
What is Oracle Buying?  bobwinners | 02/27/06
Definition of Property  ampdoc | 02/28/06
Good point, George  glocks out | 02/28/06
Well its a good point but...  DaveHowe_z | 02/28/06
a double standard  glocks out | 02/28/06
Oracle cannot be accused of being a monopoly..  mdsmedia | 02/28/06
You misjudge the OSSF...  blarman_z | 03/01/06
Oracle buying MySQL  afcas86@... | 03/05/06

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