> > I hope that people will understand that MySQL is a SERIOUS
> > competitor and not some toy of 5 years ago.

> That can be said for Oracle and DB2 and MSSQL, and... Firebird is
> not alone on RDBMS market.

So true. I posted the original message to show how others, in this
case MySQL, are working with marketing and positioning issues. Now
the thread has deteriorated into a FB vs MySQL feature comparison.

MySQL is mostly deployed as part of the LAMP stack, some 3 million
copies. Less than 1% of installations buy a $595 license which makes
~$10 million in sales. Their sales are about $20 million. The other
money comes from 10..30 large, high-end support contracts.

This puts them in trouble: $20 mln isn't enough to support a company
with 100+ staff, their original market place (low end LAMP) is being
eaten by SQLLite and IBM and alike are moving in on high-end LAMP. So
now they want to move to the largest growth market around: SME
databases.

That space is traditionally occupied by the client/server people:
SQLServer/MSDE and Firebird/Interbase, so they have to catch up on
features with these products and build up the credibilty that *we
already have*. Yet, they are benefitting from a gradual switch from
(fat) client/server to browser-based client/server.

For all those that think that we only have to fight off MySQL I say:
think again. Read:
http://www.oracle.com/database/Std_One.html
http://otn.oracle.com/products/database/htmldb/vie
wlets/htmldb_quicktour
_viewlet.html
http://www.oracle.com/database/idc_oraclesmb.pdf
The last one is a nice example of all the stuff we have been talking
about in the slogan thread. It may be boring/humourous to some, but
it is of crucial importance to our long term success.

And it is not just Oracle: IBM/DB2 is moving in just as hard. They
have to. If they allow MS, MySQL or us to capture that middle market,
they know that losing the high-end market will follow. Think Linux-
Unix.

If we position ourselves, we have to position versus all of Oracle,
DB2, SQL Server and MySQL. These systems, and us, are the only 5 with
an installed base larger than 1 million. All others are way less.

Of course, we don't have $70 million sitting in the bank. Is that the
only route though? In the last 3 years we have seen many
internet/commmunity based campaigns that were very successful. Think
Pamela Jones and Groklaw. Think Firefox.

Interbase lost the first DB marketing race in the early 90's. Let's
make sure we at least fight for our ground. There won't be a third
chance.