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Pervasive Exits Open Source PostgreSQL Business

Pervasive Software, which makes data integration tools, launched a new product line based on PostgreSQL, a freely available open-source database used by businesses. The idea was to break into the mainstream database business by undercutting the prices of entrenched corporate database providers--Oracle, IBM and Microsoft--with a product that provides many commonly used features. This venture has come to a full stop as Pervasive Software President John Farr has called it quits with PostgreSQL enterprise market.

In a letter to the PostgreSQL community of developers, John said that the company "underestimated the high level of quality support and expertise already available within the PostgreSQL community." He added that the company will continue to make data management products for PostgreSQL and will donate documentation and other intellectual property to the PostgreSQL community. In the letter he eulogized his company's exit from the PostgreSQL enterprise support market. "While we are bringing to an end our present PostgreSQL-related initiatives, we remain a champion of the cause -- high-performance, low-cost software solutions," Farr continued.

Open-source business models are becoming widely adopted by start-ups and venture capital investors. Many products, including databases and business intelligence tools, now have open source alternatives. Typically, businesses provide support services on a subscription basis for freely downloadable products. Many companies have taken the tack of selling a license for a high-end, closed-source version with more advanced features while having a low-end, open source edition of their product.


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