Mergers and acquisitions happen all the time, sometimes for the better sometimes for the worse. I think Oracle will create value for the shareholders, but in doing so what value will they destroy? Will it be the awesome MySQL database so many of us bloggers, programmers, students, developers and small companies like? Will it be the Java language? The SPARC platform?
IBM was very close to acquiring Sun awhile back and I have to say I’d much rather have them in control of our good freind Sun. I realize this isn’t news per se, but I wanted to take some time to reflect on it because it’s really kind of sad and marks the end of an awesome era.
This post was provoked by me poking around the Wall Street Journal database on Proquest and looking at the headlines of the past four years or so relating to “Sun Microsystems Business/Org.” I managed to pull a few, and I’ll post them below but I’d like to note how short of a time ago it was that Sun was doing great and was still a giant in Silicon Valley, on the web and in server rooms and datacenters around the world.
Here’s a list of headlines from only the last year that caught my eye in the short time I had today. It’s ordered from oldest to newest so you can reflect on our fallen friend Sun Microsystems:
- Business Technology: Sun’s Profit Shines Amid Costs Cuts
- Business Technology: Sun Develops More Potent Chip for a New Business
- Google Begins to Distribute Sun’s StarOffice Software
- Sun Microsystems Inc.: CEO Got $14.1 Million In 2007 Compensation
Then came the crash last year around this time:
- Corporate News: Sun Micro Slashes Jobs — Fallen Silicon Valley Star to Shed Up to 6,000 More WorkersSun Posts $1.68 Billion Loss On Hefty Impairment ChargeSun CEO Faces Pressure Over IBM — Schwartz at Odds With McNealy Over Deal; Shares Tumble 23% After Takeover Talks Break
- DownCorporate News: Oracle, Sun Review Is Extended — Justice Department Seeks More Information on Licensing Rights for Java
- Fate of Sun’s Software Is Uncertain — Deal Gives Oracle Control of ‘Open Source’ Projects, MySQL Database
Well, if Oracle does monetize MySQL, I’m done with it. I’ll move over to one of the other free ones, and I’m sure a new project will be started. I really don’t like Oracle, to me they are the epitome of what is bad about huge corporations. Well, that’s kind of an overstatement, but my feelings are strong.
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I agree with you, it’s too bad shareholders, CEO’s and board members think in the short term. I guess I can’t really say what’s going to happen because we don’t really know, but you’re definitely right about Oracle monetizing everything they get their hands on. Sun was doing pretty good before the crash, I think they could’ve pulled out of their problems.
There’s always postgreSql, sqlite, etc. Don’t get so down on yourself, I got over this awhile ago. I am worried about Java though.
Nice headline, I saw it on twitter and it was weird cuz I was just thinking about this the other day. I’m an IT guy so I know a lot about this stuff.
I wish IBM or some other company could have done it. I hate Oracle they are so annoying especially version 10i. Not to mention they won’t be able to manage sun the right way like it needs to be done.
Nice blog too, you should finish your about page and put some graphis on here it would look better. Im going to book mark it though and drop in once and ahilw, thanks for the post.
Nice post, you basically rehashed what a million other people have already said. Grats man. You’re just like every other blogger except for the fact that your blog looks nice and you can actually write. I’m not dissing or anything I’m just a blunt person but overall it’s a nice site I guess.
PS What’s wrong with your web cam ??
Face eating chimp? Is that your name in real life? I can only imagine what you actually look like LOL!
Yeah it sucks that Sun is over with. “The end of an era” You could not have said that any better man. Oracle always has and always will suck.
I worked with Oracle on a business to business basis for three years from 05 to 08 and I can honestly say that they have a lot of respect for the community. I really don’t think they are going to start charging for MySQL or take away the source code.
My best guess is they will create some closed-source binaries and maybe make an enterprise version of MySQL. MySQL competes with Oracle, but not as much as you might think.
Can i get a one small picture from your blog?
What picture do you want?
Yeah this made me sad too :’(. Nice blog, I’m going to bookmark it and stop leaving comments now!!! Thanks!