Silicon.com have today reported that the CEO of MySQL is unintimidated by the database giant Oracle!

MySQL powers the backend to this blog and thousands of websites world wide, five million installations have helped MySQL double revenues every year since 2002.

Oracle is still classed as the big boy with many more features than MySQL, but MySQL continues to focus on core functionality that is most used. It’s used by two of the biggest databases I can think of Google and Yahoo!

Mickos likened MySQL to furniture maker Ikea. Both have solid, affordable, no-frills products that they’ve found a way to efficiently distribute. The Oracles and IBMs, then, are the antique furniture makers.

“Ikea doesn’t worry about antique furniture makers,” he said.

Mickos attributed MySQL’s popularity in part to the fact open-source development inherently creates better products than the proprietary model because “developers take more pride in their work” when it’s available for public scrutiny.

When it comes to security, open source is also a benefit because “it allows you to get help from the good guys… and I believe there are more good guys than bad guys out there”.

You can read more about MySQL and Marten Mickos