Open Source Weblog

According to Reuters, IBM will resell the MySQL Enterprise Server database and services offerings, while the two companies will also work together “to develop software that will make MySQL compatible with programs that run IBM's System i line of business computers” including the DB2 database.

UPDATE
The official announcement is now out, and one interesting point Reuters overlooked is the level of compatability between MySQL and DB2.

The companies plan to make DB2 on i5 a MySQL storage engine, enabling users to deploy MySQL as a transactional database, while maintaining their data storage in DB2.

“While the two companies have traditionally competed, IBM decided to team up with MySQL because it found that some customers want both products, said Craig Johnson, a product manager with IBM.”

The deal is expected to be announced later today at MySQL’s conference and expo.

This is a significant endorsement of MySQL’s success at the web-server tier and is likely to give the company a significant leg-up on the climb towards a public offering, not to mention a heavyweight partner in its ongoing battle with Oracle.