Taking a page out of MySQL AB’s book for pushing open source databases in
the market, Pervasive Software has bundled software and services using the
PostgreSQL database.
Pervasive is offering Pervasive Postgres, a distribution of the open source
PostgreSQL version 8, to corporate IT departments to build business
applications. Pervasive envisions the offering as a low-cost alternative to
databases from IBM, Oracle and Microsoft, and the company will provide application
migration to move customers from those systems to Pervasive Postgres.
Like MySQL, Pervasive Postgres will include formal support, a roadmap and
enhancements designed to lure more users, including automated installation
and simple administration tools.
Josh Berkus, a member of the PostgreSQL Core Team, said the PostgreSQL
community welcomes Pervasive, which is working with engineers, testers and
support personnel who work exclusively with PostgreSQL and related products.
Berkus said Pervasive has pledged to donate to the community the improvements made to the core PostgreSQL database server.
The company will offer Pervasive Postgres for free download, as well as annual
subscriptions, which will include support, updates and tools. Subscription
prices will range from $99 a year per server for basic updates to $4,999 a
year per server for premium production support.
A preview version of Pervasive Postgres is immediately available for
download by early adopters. Full availability is
slated for February.
Like MySQL, Pervasive hopes its Pervasive Postgres bundle will serve as a
less expensive alternative to proprietary database systems from IBM , Oracle
and Microsoft
. But
unlike MySQL, Pervasive did not bake the technology the way MySQL founders
did.
PostgreSQL was born in the 80s by programmers at the University
of California at Berkeley. It evolved out of the first Ingres database.
Because Pervasive remains independent of the PostgreSQL technology, the
Austin, Texas, company hopes using the open source product as the source for
a new enterprise offering will give it an edge over MySQL, which also offers
its database for free download and for a price as part of a subscription and
services package.
Released under the BSD license, the PostgreSQL database may be used royalty-free
within commercial settings with nearly no restrictions. It includes
such tools as views, triggers and stored procedures.
