So, database companies have decided to step over to the Open side of things? The Open Source side, that is. To me it is really not all that surprising to see companies in this sector wanting to jump off the closed source boat.

Don’t get me wrong, closed source is fine - for some types of software. But the idea of databases running with an Open Source license makes sense to me in the long run. Basically, it is a no brainer.

Whether companies sell or provide their databases with fully available source code, through a new open source project, or with their very own open source license, there is definitely open source fever in the database business these days. Older, established database makers such as IBM, Sybase, and CA are releasing the code for what were previously proprietary products. But these players are coming late to the party thrown by MySQL, PostgreSQL, BerkelyDB maker Sleepycat, and Firebird. How much open source beer are these newcomers bringing to the database bash, or are they simply coming in and asking where the cups are?

The companies that create and sell databases differ on how much of the trend toward opening proprietary products under open source licenses is business and technical versus how much is marketing lip service to the open source bandwagon, which is sometimes viewed as a new opportunity for old products.