From eWEEK.COM

Why Pay for a Database?

Dear all, I would have loved to have your comments on my blog but if
you guys would like to do so via Dubailug, bet it let every body share
the benefit ...

I was reading in an article that Microsoft's Carol Dullmeyer, senior
product manager for SQL Server said : "Customers tell us that they
look beyond the initial purchase cost and evaluate items such as
maintenance, support, completeness of functionality, and consistent
management-tool environment,"... If I would read this with my twisted
Linux mind, it would mean that Open source Databases will not be
addressing the the client's concerns...

WHAT DO YOU THINK ?

Some facts:
Despite the attractive prices that are drawing more CIOs to
open-source applications such as MySQL and PostgreSQL, traditional
software from Insight vendors have not exactly thrown in the towel yet.
Some,including big names like Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM -- are
fighting back by releasing free, or scaled-down their fully featured
database products..

Well of course the idea behind it is not not be Open source but rather
try to get the customers to upgrade later one.

when I talk to my client I always have this question:
- Does it make good business sense to pay for a commercial database
when stable open-source versions exists?

The answer is of course " it does not".

The market says the same, MySQL, claims eight million installations
for clients like Yahoo, Ticketmaster, and craigslist.org.

PostgreSQL on the other hand has been taking big names such as Lucent
Technologies, which I hear has recently switched from Oracle !!!!!!!!!!!.

Over all most of my Open source friends see the combination of low or
no cost with ever-improving product performance the main reason behind
those wonderful shifts.


And by the way Microsoft's Dullmeyer argued, that open-source
databases often are big on promises but short on delivery.

What do you guys think?
Thanks;)