Sun to Buy MySQL for $1 Billion

16Jan2008

Sun Microsystems Inc.  today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire open-source software maker MySQL AB for $1 billion, beefing up the server maker’s database offerings with a company whose technology is used by some of the world’s biggest Web sites.

With millions of global deployments including Facebook, Google, Nokia, Baidu and China Mobile, MySQL will bring synergies to Sun that will change the landscape of the software industry by driving new adoption of MySQL’s open source database in more traditional applications and enterprises. The integration with Sun will greatly extend the commercial appeal of MySQL’s offerings and improve its value proposition with the addition of Sun’s global services organization. MySQL will also gain new distribution through Sun’s channels including its OEM relationships with Intel, IBM and Dell.

Who said the free software was not profitable?

Filed in business, google, china, facebook, baidu, ibm, intel, sun, mySQL, dell, nokia | Comments (0) | Permalink

Is Google’s brand more valuable than Coca-Cola?

14May2007

Latest edition of BRANDZ ranking has been released recently. Brandz is top 100 ranking of  “Most Powerful Brands” on Earth published by Millward Brown Optimor in cooperation with the Financial Times.

In this year’s edition Google has risen to the top, previously dedicated to Microsoft, with Coca-Cola in 4th position. According to Millward Brown, Google’s brand value is $66.4bn (almost doubling its last year’s value) while Coca-Cola’s brand value is $44bn.

In the other hand, according to Interbrand’s Best Global Brands ranking released last summer, Coca-Cola is the most valuable brand with an estimated value of $67bn while Google is ranked 24th with $12.3bn.

This criteria disparity is accentuated by the fact that only five brands are part of the top10 in both rankings (but, of course, neither in the same position nor the same value). The only brand that is valuated aproximately the same is Microsoft!!

BRANDZ ($bn):

  1. Google: 66
  2. GE: 61
  3. Microsoft: 55
  4. Coca-Cola: 44
  5. China Mobile: 41
  6. Marlboro: 39
  7. Wal-Mart: 37
  8. Citi: 34
  9. IBM: 33.5
  10. Toyota: 33.4

Interbrand ($bn):

  1. Coca-Cola: 67
  2. Microsoft: 57
  3. IBM: 56
  4. GE: 49
  5. Intel: 32
  6. Nokia: 30
  7. Toyota: 28
  8. Disney: 27.8
  9. McDonald’s: 27.5
  10. Mercedes: 22

Valuating brands seems to be a misterious science. What comes next? Only time will tell.

Filed in google, microsoft, brands, brandz, interbrand, ibm, millward brown, cocacola, intel | Comments (0) | Permalink