In future, Oracle will offer three paid MySQLEditions at subscription fees of $2,000, $5,000 and $10,000 per year. The previous $600 "Basic" subscription has been dropped, in effect more than tripling the price for some customers. These subscriptions do not represent different levels of support, but rather different mixes of software. The free "Classic" edition provides only an embedded database with a MyISAM back end. The transactional InnoDB is available in the Standard, Enterprise and Carrier-Grade Editions, the Cluster NDB engine only in the Carrier-Grade Edition.

There is a similar situation with the administration tools: Enterprise Monitor and backup aren't available in the Classic and Standard versions. The above prices are for a server with up to 4 CPU sockets. The MySQL web site states that customers wanting to run servers with five or more sockets, must contact Oracle directly. According to the Oracle MySQL Global Price List , the cost for machines with 5 or more CPU sockets is twice as much as Carrier-Grade. Oracle has not commented on this new pricing and product policy.

SkySQL, a company run by former MySQL employees, has seized the opportunity to try and poach some Oracle customers via an open letter. The letter offers similar product levels as Sun before the Oracle takeover: Basic, Silver, Platinum and Unlimited, it's in support services and software the offerings differ. The company has not explicitly revealed its prices, but they are said to lie "30 to 40 per cent below those of Oracle".

Speaking to The H's associates at heise Open, Christian Trieb, Deputy CEO of German Oracle user group, said that "The DOAG recommends users to compare both the prices and the performance of all the packages on offer, given the situation on the market today there is certainly room for negotiation".

(trk)