[announcement] Cloudscape moving towards open source

"In conjunction with the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo next week, Big Blue is expected to detail the open-source initiative, code-named Derby, according to a source familiar with IBM's plans. The software will be governed by the open-source Apache Software License and stewarded by the Apache Software Foundation, the source said." http://news.com.com/IBM+to+make+Java+database+open+source/2100-7344_3-52 91025.html?tag=cd.top "IBM is donating half a million lines of code from its Cloudscape database to the open source community, care of the Apache Software Foundation." http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/03/ibm_open_source_gift/ Andy sending to informix-list

There is more on this at the NY Times (free reg req): http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/03/technology/03java.html?ex=1249185600&en=d8a20a8423b0b3e3&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland Same URL shortened: http://tinyurl.com/4o4a6 'Placing software into the open source realm does not guarantee that it will succeed in attracting programmers to maintain and improve the code. Still, Java experts say that there is a need for a basic Java database and that the Cloudscape code could prove to be popular. "It is a nice, out-of-the-box database," said Greg Stein, chairman of the Apache Foundation... If freeing proprietary code will undermine competitors or enlarge support for WebSphere, analysts say, I.B.M. is now willing to do it. "The Cloudscape code is not a major factor in I.B.M.'s overall platform strategy," said Mike Gilpin, an analyst at Forrester Research, an Internet marketing firm. "So this makes sense for I.B.M." The $85 million value that I.B.M. placed on its code contribution is the price Informix, a database company, paid in 1999 for Cloudscape, a small start-up company. In 2001, I.B.M. acquired Informix for $1 billion.' Sincerely, Christopher Coleman Acting President Kansas City Informix Users Group www.iiug.org/kciug Database Analyst Pharmacy Division Mediware Information Systems, Inc.