1. Competitive Update
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2. Agenda
• MySQL vs. Commercial RDBMS
• MySQL vs. Commercial “Express” RDBMS
• MySQL vs. Open Source RDBMS
• Specific Products
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3. Key Points
Commercial Databases
Situation Recommendation
Competitors are Expensive Focus on TCO
Competitors Have More Features Focus on Simplicity not Features
Migrations are Difficult Focus on New Applications
“Express” Databases
Situation Recommendation
Products are Restricted Focus on Bait-n-Switch
Open Source Databases
Situation Recommendation
Projects not Companies Focus on MySQL Backing
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4. MySQL vs. Commercial RDBMS
Why MySQL wins:
• Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
• Performance, Quality, Ease-of-use, Low Administration
• Multiple Platforms
• Momentum , Market share & Flexibility of LAMP stack!
Questions to raise about competitor:
• What is the Pricing Model: “Per Server” or “Per CPU” or “Per
Core”?
• Do you pay extra for Maintenance, Updates and Upgrades?
• Do you pay extra for Support?
• Does the database have restrictions by CPU, Memory, Storage?
• Does the database have restrictions by Platforms?
• Point them to the TCO Calculator
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5. Oracle
Weaknesses
• 3-year TCO is many times that of MySQL
• Complex Pricing Model
• Complex software
• Difficult to deploy, tune and manage
Migration Case Studies
• Aizawa Securities, CitySearch, Evite, Enercon, Lycos
Europe, NASA, The Weather Channel, H+M, T-Systems
“Oracle sales staff has inappropriately imposed extra licensing fees on
some database customers by making them choose the option that costs
the most…trying to pre-sell far more licenses than the customer will ever
use…(and) performing bottom-up audits and occasionally coming back
with increases in licensing costs.” (Gartner Group)
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6. Microsoft SQL Server
Weaknesses
• 3-year TCO is many times that of MySQL
• Windows-only agenda
Migration Case Studies
• Sony International (Europe)
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7. IBM DB2
Weaknesses
• 3-year TCO is many times that of MySQL
• 12 different code-bases using same brand
• Complexity requires expensive IBM Global Services
Migration Case Studies
• Omaha Steaks
AMR Research reported that respondants gave MySQL significantly
higher ratings than IBM DB2 on performance, stability, and ease of
administration. “Two things account for these high ratings: First, Open
Source DBs optimize on performance and stability, while being
inexpensive and not burdened with the kinds of complexity that make
other databases difficult to adminster.”
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8. Sybase
Weaknesses
• 3-year TCO is many times that of MySQL
• In decline (currently 2.2% market share)
• Does not win strategic database decisions
Migration Case Studies
• CNET
• Securities America
During the eWeek benchmark, MySQL was able to scale to twice
as many users and three times the throughput of Sybase’s flagship
database. (mysql.com/benchmarks)
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9. Informix
Weaknesses
• 3-year TCO is many times that of MySQL
• IBM has “retired” Informix
• Informix users are actively migrating to other databases
Migration Case Studies
• Associated Press
• Pottawattamie County
We rate IBM/Informix U2, XPS, the other DB products as a strong
negative, because these products have reached the end of their
competitiveness. Enterprises looking to deploy new applications
should consider other DBMSs as appropriate. (Gartner: IBM
Informix’s Twilight Years)
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10. MySQL vs. Commercial “Express” RDBMS
Why MySQL wins:
• No restrictions! No limitations! No Bait & Switch!
• Performance, Quality, Ease-of-use
• Multiple Platforms
• Momentum, Market share and Flexibilty of LAMP stack!
Questions to raise about competitor:
• Bait-n-Switch! What happens when your needs grow?
• Does the database have restrictions by CPU, Memory,
Storage?
• Does the database have restrictions by Platforms?
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11. ‘Express’ Products - Restrictions
• Restricted to Single Machine
• Restricted by # of CPUs
• Restricted by Amount of RAM
• Restricted by Database Size
• Restricted by Replication (Scale-out)
• Restricted by Web (Hosted) deployment
• Restricted by Lack of Technical Support offerings
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12. Express Products - Impact
• NOT allowed to scale-up or scale-out their applications
– Due to the Deployment and Technical Restrictions
• NOT allowed to deploy high-performance hardware
– Required to provide a positive user experience.
• NOT allowed to deploy databases larger than 4-5 GB
– Limiting the potential of the application
• NOT allowed to deploy Data Warehouse applications
– Due to the DB Size limitation
• NOT allowed to scale beyond a certain number of users
– Due to the RAM/CPU/Disk limitations
• NOT allowed to take advantage of parallel operations
– Such as parallel queries, loading, and partition scans due to the
single CPU limitation.
• NOT allowed to receive Production-level Technical or
Consultative Support
– Required to deploy business or mission-critical applications.
• NOT allowed to choose an operating system
– That reduces costs and increases reliability and performance.
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13. MySQL vs. Open Source RDBMS
Why MySQL wins:
• MySQL is a full-Service Commercial ISV
– Delivers 24x7 Production Support, Maintenance, Bug-Fixes
– Delivers Consulting, Training
– Delivers IP Indemnification and Warranties (owns all IP)
• ISV Partner Program
• Global 1000 customer references
Questions to raise about competitor:
• Who provides 24x7 Production Support?
• Who provides Emergency Bug-Fixes?
• Who manages the Product Roadmap?
• Who owns the IP?
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14. PostgreSQL
Customer References
• No major reference customers
Technical Weaknesses
• No pluggable Storage Engines (one-size-fits-all)
Business Weaknesses
• Who provides 24x7 Production Support?
• Who provides Bug Fixes?
Migration Case Studies
• Cox Communications (PostgreSQL move failed)
Until the PostgreSQL project can drop names such as Embarcadero,
GoldenGate, HP, Novell, Quest, SAP and Veritas—as can MySQL, with whom
those big players partner—it will continue to be known only to the open-source
elite. (eWeek)
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15. Commercial ISVs: OSS RDBMS
• EnterpriseDB
– Focused on Enterprise Applications
– Positioning: “Oracle Migrations” and “Oracle Compatibility”
– Major VC Funding
– Closed Source product on PostgreSQL
• GreenPlum
– Focused on DW/BI
– Major VC Funding
– Making “DW Appliance” partnerships
– Closed Source product on PostgreSQL (BizGres.org)
• Ingres
– Executive Team is Ex-Oracle, CFO is Wall Street Analyst
– Dual License (Commercial and GPL)
– Making “Database Appliance” partnerships
– Spin-out from Computer Associates
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16. Resources
MySQL Customers
• http://www.mysql.com/customers/
Boot Camp: MySQL for Oracle DBAs
• http://www.mysql.com/oracle/
Migration Case Studies
• www.mysql.com/customers/?migrated
Migration Forums
• http://forums.mysql.com/
Competitive PlayBooks
• https://intranet.mysql.com/secure/wiki/Marketing#playbooks
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