15 February 2005 Open source database vendor MySQL is set to change its licensing fees and offer a yearly subscription service for its database software, in a push to penetrate into corporate data centres.

The Swedish software maker currently charges customers an upfront licensing fee to download its flagship MySQL database. Customers also get access to limited support services.

The new subscription service, known as the “MySQL Network” allows corporate customers to access certified versions of the MySQL database, technical support, warranties and software updates. MySQL hopes that by enhancing its support, corporate customers will be more inclined to consider purchasing its software.

Costs for the annual subscription start at $600, although this can rise to $5,000 per year. The licensing cost is based on the number of servers and the type of support required, ranging from email support to a response from a MySQL engineer within 30 minutes.

Marten Mickos, CEO of MySQL said that customers were previously offered the “Gold support” from MySQL at a lower price, but they needed a minimum of 50 servers, or pay annual charges of almost $100,000. He added the new subscription service is to simplify the licensing for corporations and will appeal to corporate customers looking to lower their risk using open-source software.

Open source software is gradually finding its niche in the corporate infrastructure as companies seek new ways to lower costs. MySQL competes against the large proprietary databases, such as Oracle and Microsoft, as well as free enterprise systems, including PostgreSQL, Ingres and Cloudscape.