PostgreSQL database opens up to Windows

The open-source project developing the PostgreSQL database released an update that for the first time lets the database run on Windows.

The PostgreSQL Global Development group said Wednesday that PostgreSQL 8.0 is available for download for free. The development effort was sponsored, and included contributions from commercial computing companies such as Fujitsu and Red Hat.

The latest edition of the database, which has its roots in the academic world of the early 1980s, can now run on Windows natively. Previously, it ran on Windows but needed emulation software, which usually slows down performance.

Other features include tools to automatically recover a lost transaction and enhancements for using PostgreSQL for handling large data files and a high volume of data. These high-end features are designed to make the open-source database more attractive to corporate customers looking for alternatives to "closed-source" databases from commercial providers.

Open-source databases, which have been popular with developers for years, are getting more attention from higher-level information technology executives, said analysts. The open-source database company MySQL has said its revenue is growing rapidly, driven by a spike in interest from corporate customers looking to deploy its database more widely.

Earlier this month, embedded database provider Pervasive Software said that it intends to offer support and training services for PostgreSQL. Fujitsu and Red Hat also offer similar support services for the database, which can be attained for free and used with an open-source license.