Oracle commits to customers, developers and users of MySQL as EU signals probable clearance for Sun deal

The European Commission is reported to be looking at an Oracle-Sun deal more favorably after Oracle made public affirmations to reassure the commission on competition issues.

In a statement, Oracle said it had engaged in “constructive discussions” with the European Commission with regard to concerns expressed about the Oracle/Sun Microsystems deal, more specifically to  the maintenance of MySQL as a competitive force in the database market. To further reassure the commission, Oracle issued a statement publicly committing itself to a 10-point plan, including the continued availability of storage engine APIs, non-assertion, license commitment, commitment to enhance MySQL in the future under the GPL, non-mandatory support to customers, increased spending on MySQL research and development, the creation of a customer advisory board and a storage engine vendor advisory board for MySQL, a MySQL reference manual and the preservation of customer choice for support.

Reuters reported that EU regulators are now looking at clearing Oracle's $7 billion takeover of Sun Microsystems Inc  more favorably after the US software giant made these promises in order to address the Commission's competition concerns. Today was also the deadline for Oracle to submit its final proposals to address the Commission's concerns. Reports quoted a statement by the European Commission as saying that it "welcomes" Oracle's moves, which represent "an important new element to be taken into account." European regulators are scheduled to make their final decision by January 2010.

Oracle has committed maintaining and periodically enhancing MySQL's Pluggable Storage Engine Architecture to allow users the flexibility to choose from a portfolio of native and third party supplied storage engines. A commercial license will not be required by Oracle from third party storage engine vendors to implement the application programming interfaces available as part of MySQL's Pluggable Storage Engine Architecture. Oracle said it shall continue to enhance MySQL and make subsequent versions of MySQL, including Version 6, available under the GPL. Moreover, customers will not be required to purchase support services from Oracle as a condition to obtaining a commercial license to MySQL. It will also increase spending on MySQL research and development, promising “more” than Sun's spend of $24 million in the most recent fiscal year preceding the closing of the transaction.

Additionally, Oracle said it is committed to the creation of a MySQL Customer Advisory Board witin six months of the transaction closing, and within the same timeframe it will also create a MySQL Storage Engine Vendor Advisory Board. It said it would create a MySQL Reference Manualand make available for download at no charge, similar to the one Sun already has in place. It said that it is committed to these points globally and that these commitments would hold good until five years from the transaction closing.