ITWeek: How many subscriptions does MySQL currently have?
Mårten Mickos: That is not something we disclose to the public, but MySQL is the world’s most popular open-source database, with millions of users worldwide. Customers in mission-critical industries get support from us, but there are many others using the software that do not want support and therefore have no licence. On a worldwide scale, we have about one paying customer for every thousand using the software, though it is higher in a developed market like the UK than it is in somewhere like China, where most of the people are not paying.

Many IT managers worry about the level of support for an open-source database. How do you tackle that?
We have an around-the-clock support team of about 50 people spread all over the world offering basic, silver, gold and platinum levels. It takes us several years to train them with the knowledge and skills to support our customers, and we do not outsource support to third parties. Many people think open source is a hobby for youngsters, but for mission-critical environments it is as serious as anything else.

What sorts of companies prefer to deploy open-source databases?
There are five specific markets where MySQL is used most: companies that operate purely as web properties; on-demand and hosting market firms doing software-as-a-service (SaaS) or other kinds of internet hosting; modern enterprises that put all their applications on SQL; telcos; and embedded security devices and appliances.

How does MySQL fit with Web 2.0?
I would say that the majority of Web 2.0 companies in the world run on MySQL already because it is a natural and native fit for that industry. The motto of Web 2.0 is scale fast, fail fast, meaning companies very quickly find out if an idea has any legs ­ if it does, they suddenly find themselves with more traffic than they can handle so they start to scale.

What about SaaS?
SaaS is still a nascent industry but it is growing very rapidly. We have customers such as RightNow that come in with features and enhancement requirements that are slightly different than other companies that we have to accommodate, but it also means when that market explodes we are ready. In SaaS environments, many customers share the same systems, so people talk about multi-tenancy and the variety of ways you can make it happen, mostly partitioning and security for specific products.

How does MySQL compete with other databases?
Most of the time, MySQL is used for new database deployments rather than migration, usually when new applications and services are being built. When it does compete against Microsoft and Oracle, low cost is the initial attraction, but loyal customers say the reasons they continue with the software is performance and reliability. They get scalability out of the software and their systems do not fall down, that is the long-term differentiator.