Author Archives: Kaj Arnö
When co-founding MariaDB plc under the name SkySQL Corporation fifteen years ago (before MariaDB Foundation existed), we picked the name SkySQL with a bit of a reference to the cloud. Obviously, we didn’t then have a clear understanding of what type of a cloud offering MariaDB should have. I am glad to note that those days are finally and completely over, with MariaDB Cloud. I wish it hadn’t taken fifteen years!
So now, I sat down for a proper chat with Jags Ramnarayan, the technical father of SkySQL / MariaDB Cloud.
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Continue reading “MariaDB Cloud: A Semi-Technical Introduction”
Last Friday, we hosted an Ask Me Anything session with HackerEarth – and we promised to share the same insights here in written form. So here it is: your guide to success in the MariaDB Python Hackathon!
A Great Idea Is Only the Beginning
A brilliant idea submission is just the start. The real work lies in the development — and that’s exactly what’s happening this month.
We want you to succeed. Success can mean that your hackathon contribution is widely used, that it puts you in the spotlight, and that it builds your reputation as a developer who makes a real impact.
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Continue reading “How to Succeed in the MariaDB Python Hackathon, Bangalore”
September was a month of big ideas, long-term thinking, and vibrant community energy for the MariaDB Foundation. Our Board of Directors met for what may well have been the most strategic session in Foundation history – and our community, in parallel, pushed the frontiers of innovation in AI, open source collaboration, and real-world adoption.
Let’s take a tour through the highlights — and yes, a few of these stories carried over into early October, simply because we had too much good news to contain in one month.
Strategic Vision: Strengthening the MariaDB Board
Our late-September Board of Directors meeting was all about looking ahead.
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Continue reading “This Month in MariaDB Foundation: September 2025”
Strengthening the Board with industry leaders is a key goal for the MariaDB Foundation in 2025 – and beyond.
At the MariaDB Foundation, we believe that leadership in open source isn’t just about code — it’s about courage, community, and conviction. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that Frank Karlitschek, founder and CEO of Nextcloud, has joined the MariaDB Foundation Board.
This is more than a new appointment — it’s a signal of where we’re heading as a Foundation: towards deeper collaboration with open-source and database pioneers who share our European values and our vision for digital independence.
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The news has circulated quietly in industry corners, but the implications are far too significant to brush aside: Oracle seems to have ended the Open Source era of MySQL.
I am not a spokesperson for Oracle, yet the signs are unmistakable. Entire teams associated with MySQL at Oracle have been dissolved, spanning engineering, development and sales. On LinkedIn, I’ve received a wave of messages from former colleagues — both long-time MySQL veterans and those who joined Oracle years after MariaDB was founded in 2009.
The impression is clear: Oracle has made a rational business decision to pivot towards AI and cloud, where MySQL only matters insofar as it strengthens OCI and Heatwave.
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Continue reading “When Oracle Drops the Ball: Why MariaDB is the Future of the MySQL World”
Not what AI can do for MariaDB – but what MariaDB can do for AI
I have hinted at this before (This Month in MariaDB – August 2025), but it deserves to be said again: our vision for MariaDB’s role in AI is both clear and ambitious. We do not simply want to participate in the AI space – we aim to be the bridge between real-world data and modern AI systems.
Large Language Models are, at their core, vast read-only neural networks. The data that organisations truly depend upon does not reside inside these models;
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Continue reading “MariaDB and AI: Building the Bridge That Really Matters”
The final days are here for the Foundation’s first large-scale hackathon, the MariaDB Python Hackathon we’re organising in partnership with BangPypers (the Bangalore Python Meetup, a group with about 14,000 members) and HackerEarth (a Hackathon organiser). Do come with your final submissions of ideas at mariadb-python.hackerearth.com within the next two days – in October, it’s development time!
The magnitude is new for MariaDB Foundation
Already, we’re quite proud of the results. Last Wednesday, I reported to the MariaDB Foundation Board meeting that we have over 3,000 registered individuals and 250 team idea submissions.
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Continue reading “MariaDB Bangalore Hackathon: Ideation Phase Closing”
August may have been a holiday month for many, but the MariaDB community certainly didn’t take a break. From Amsterdam to Bengaluru, from deep technical dives to festive dinners, August brought us fresh insights, new collaborations, and plenty of reasons to be excited about the road ahead.
Community Interaction at Linux Foundation’s Open Source Summit in Amsterdam
MariaDB Foundation proudly joined the Open Source Summit in Amsterdam, hosted by the Linux Foundation (LF OSS). Alongside me, Vlad Radu represented the Foundation at our booth – joined by none other than Michael “Monty” Widenius (founder of both MariaDB and MySQL) and Sergei Golubchik (Chief Architect of MariaDB Server).
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Continue reading “This Month in MariaDB Foundation: August 2025”