MariaDB Cloud: A Semi-Technical Introduction

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.

How to Succeed in the MariaDB Python Hackathon, Bangalore

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.

Welcoming Wolf Software Systems Ltd as a New Sponsor of the MariaDB Foundation

We are excited to announce that Wolf Software Systems Ltd has joined the MariaDB Foundation as a new Silver sponsor! Their support helps strengthen our shared mission of advancing open-source database technology, and we warmly welcome them into our community.

Who are Wolf Software Systems Ltd?

Our active intelligence platform (AIP) “IntelligentWolf” is designed for businesses that have outgrown rigid systems. While passive analytics tools like Power BI are read-only, Intelligentwolf connects your entire tech stack into a single layer that can both read and write data and analyse with AI and vector embedding. 

This Month in MariaDB Foundation: September 2025

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.

Riding the Waves – the MariaDB adoption index in October 2025

Even positive trends have hiccups. Last month we celebrated “onwards and upwards”. This month the adoption index took a bit of a knock. We also made a couple of minor updates to the index thanks to feedback from the community. This is all in the spirit of openness – with transparent numbers, we can together tackle challenges and work on the success of MariaDB. 

Highlights in metrics

Metrics that rose considerably this month: MariaDB in Debian popcon, Github stars, mentions in Github Repo READMEs, Wikipedia article reads, and Reddit subscribers. 

It is positive to see views of MariaDB articles on Wikipedia take a positive swing.

Sneak preview of State of MariaDB 2025 – survey still open!

The State of MariaDB 2025 survey is well underway, and the insights are fascinating. Thank you to all who have participated so far! If you haven’t yet, the survey is open at: https://mariadb.typeform.com/survey-2025?utm_source=blogprv

Sneak preview

We wanted to share a quick sneak preview of the results so far. Here’s what’s emerging.

A Mature and Growing Community

The MariaDB community includes both experienced professionals and newer users. 40% of respondents have 26+ years in tech, while the community also welcomes those earlier in their careers.

Top ideas in the MariaDB-Python hackathon

As we blogged last week, the ideation phase of the MariaDB-Python hackathon ended with a heap of ideas. Due to the sheer mass, we had a tough time evaluating suitable ideas and teams for the development phase.

Now that we have proceeded to the development phase, we are really looking forward to seeing all short-listed ideas materialize to code! Let’s take a look at a few ideas from each track that stood out of the crowd.

A short recap: the hackathon is about Making MariaDB easier to use by two approaches, reflected by the two tracks: Integrations and Innovations

From Vision to Action: Strengthening the MariaDB Foundation Board – Welcome, Frank Karlitschek!

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.