The CIO at Case Western Reserve University, which uses Sun's MySQL open-source database as well as Oracle databases, says the Oracle takeover of Sun is "a monster step backward for those of us who are committed to sustaining open source," according to The Wall Street Journal.Case Western CIO Lev Gonick also said, "I have no doubt that this is an attempt to kill the competition." My my - should make for an interesting next conversation with his Oracle rep, eh?

The WSJ article outlines the distinction between the open-source philosophy embraced by Sun with MySQL and that of Oracle, the world leader in commercial database products. But the former head of MySQL at Sun, Marten Mickos, said he is "optimistic" that Oracle will throw its full support behind MySQL, resulting in ongoing growth for it and for Oracle as well.

Microsoft is a strong player in databases and while it certainly doesn't offer an open-source alternative to MySQL, it is likely to pounce on the opportunity to chat with frustrated CIOs such as Case Western's Gonick who feel Oracle's acquisition is heavy-handed and, as he put it, an attempt to stifle competition.