Oracle consumes 44 percent of the database market
Over the past few years, Oracle has bought nearly every enterprise software company in existence, but comparatively few database-related vendors (Sleepycat, InnoDB, etc.). This hasn't mattered, however, as it's gargantuan applications business is helping to drive its database business, now climbing to 44 percent of the enterprise market.
Verdict on Oracle's consolidation strategy? Big ambition with big returns. Well done.
Sun is trying to hollow out Oracle's momentum with an aggressive, all-you-can-eat pricing for MySQL, but the real competition in the short term is from Microsoft and IBM.
I'd love to see data on whether Oracle is cutting into DB2 and making headway with IBM-friendly enterprises. IBM has traditionally done exceptionally well with account control, so I'd be surprised if Oracle were damaging IBM's position in many enterprises, but it now has so many beachheads into enterprises through its acquisitions of PeopleSoft, BEA Systems, etc. that Oracle arguably is well-positioned to grow its market share in databases and applications.
Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to The Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Market share should be measured on customer benefit.