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Microsoft Acquires Another Open-Source Company, Citus Data (cnbc.com)

Posted by msmash on from the big-shark,-small-shark dept.

Microsoft on Thursday said that it's acquiring Citus Data, a start-up that has commercialized open-source database software called PostgreSQL. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. From a report: The deal could help Microsoft make its argument that it supports open-source technologies, particularly in the cloud, while continuing to make money from popular proprietary software like Windows and Office. In the cloud business, Microsoft wants to use openness as a way to pick up business amid competition from Google, market leader Amazon and others. Currently, Citus Data's website advertises a version of its database software that's hosted on Amazon Web Services. Microsoft's blog post announcing the acquisition mentions the competing Azure cloud 10 times.

3 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. Citus Does Not Own PostgreSQL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    They matket an add-on to helpit scale and they offer PostgreSQL as SaaS.

    Relax;

  2. Before everyone freaks out by IMightB · · Score: 5, Informative

    So everyone knows Citus is a PG Extension to allow for distributed queries, it is *not* the postgresql project itself.

  3. Re:Infiltrate, assimilate, destroy, move on by tlhIngan · · Score: 4, Informative

    'Open source' is a threat to Microsoft profits therefore acquiring and destroying Open Source is on their 'to do' list. Microsoft wants to be the one and only source of an operating system and software in the world and they don't care what they have to do to achieve that.

    That was probably true 10 years ago, but Microsoft has moved on and figured out how to make money off open source as well. Namely, stuff like Azure means Microsoft found a way to work with Linux and other open source technologies and make money off it.

    Nadella likes to make money, and if it means upsetting the old Microsoft apple cart, he's done it. That's why there's the Linux subsystem for Windows, SQL Server for Linux, Azure supports Linux extremely well, etc. Windows and Office are old standbys but you can bet he'd port Office to Linux if it would make money.