Archive of thenextweb.com
Written on 20th April 2009
3 COMMENTS 
Zee, Editor in Chief at The Next Web, Principal at WeDoCreative.
Sun Microsystems directors have approved Oracle Corporation’s bid of $7.4 billion ($9.50 a share) or $5.6 billion after including debt.
I.B.M. recently concluded talks with Sun after I.B.M. lowered it’s offer from $10 to $9.40 a share.
Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison said in a statement:
“The acquisition of Sun transforms the IT industry, combining best-in-class enterprise software and mission-critical computing systems. Oracle will be the only company that can engineer an integrated system – applications to disk – where all the pieces fit and work together so customers do not have to do it themselves. Our customers benefit as their systems integration costs go down while system performance, reliability and security go up.”
The company added that the acquisition of Java “is the most important software Oracle has ever acquired.”
The deal is expected to close this summer, subject to Sun stockholder approval and other regulatory approvals.
More details to come as we get them.
Written on 17th April 2009
2 COMMENTS
Zee, Editor in Chief at The Next Web, Principal at WeDoCreative.
Yunoo is a new social personal finance platform from The Netherlands.
The startup aims to help you think and act financially smarter. Through understanding of your finances, combined with knowledge of the community, this tool should save you at least a few Euro!
Written on 17th April 2009
2 COMMENTS
Zee, Editor in Chief at The Next Web, Principal at WeDoCreative.
E aims to bridge your online and offline lives.
The startup enables you to collect your accounts – on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and every other network of your choice – in one spot, and share them in real life by using any mobile phone or a small handheld device called The Connector.
With E, you have a card ready for each context, every situation and any kind of person you meet in real life. No more stacks of cards on your desk. Instant connections, in the place where it matters most: the real world.
Written on 15th April 2009
0 COMMENTS
David Petherick, Contributing Editor, United Kingdom
Sun Microsystems’ Startup Essentials are Giga sponsors of The Next Web Conference, and their Startup Rally series kicks off tomorrow in Amsterdam.
‘Spotlight’ Video Elevator Pitches
However, they have not forgotten how many startups entered but did not make it to the final cut, nor how many talented startups are visiting The Next Web Conference, so they have arranged a ‘Spotlight’ facility at the Sun Startup Essentials Stand, where startups can film their own elevator pitch, which will then appear later the same day on http://blogs.sun.com/startups, along with a paragraph of information, allowing the startup to reach a global audience for free.
Startups can also sign up to the Sun Startup Essentials programme, which offers support, community, events, and even discounts on Sun hardware to help support their development.
Sticker Photo Competition
As if that were not enough, Sun also have two rather nice prizes on offer for the best photos of a Sun Startup Stickers stuck to “willing volunteers“!
What do you have to do ?
- Visit the Sun Startup Essentials stand and get your Essential sticker(s) *
- Find willing volunteer(s),** and take a photo of them with sticker(s) – remember the more creative the better! (See Hermione demonstrating below)
- Twitter your pictures, using the hashtags #sunstartup #tnw – upload by 3pm Friday 17th April
Hermione Way demonstrates how to stick your startup sticker
So how do you win?
To win EveryCity On-Demand Hosting —
- Twitter the most individual photos, of separate people, wearing the stickers or
To Win an iPod Touch —
- Take the most interesting/creative/imaginative photo, as judged by the panel of experts
Good luck!
Conditions: * Stickers are limited to x10 per person. Be creative when re-using them! ** Competition entrant must gain permission from persons being photographed * Stickers should be removed and discarded responsibly after photos have been taken.
Written on 10th October 2008
0 COMMENTS
David Petherick, Contributing Editor, United Kingdom
The Next Web talks with Tim Bray at Future of Web Apps, London. Tim gives us some tips for the tough times ahead. He knows that even if he’s wrong, we should listen.
Mobile post sent by davidpetherick using Utterli. 
Replies. mp3
Written on 16th January 2008
8 COMMENTS
Robert Gaal, co-founder of Wakoopa
This just hit the presses: Sun will acquire MySQL for $1 billion. If you’re not familiar with MySQL: it’s the open-source database system that fuels a lot of sites, including Facebook, Google, and this one. From the press release:
SANTA CLARA, CA January 16, 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAVA) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MySQL AB, an open source icon and developer of one of the world’s fastest growing open source databases for approximately $1 billion in total consideration. The acquisition accelerates Sun’s position in enterprise IT to now include the $15 billion database market. Today’s announcement reaffirms Sun’s position as the leading provider of platforms for the Web economy and its role as the largest commercial open source contributor.
Will this change MySQL as we know it? Mårten Mickos, MySQL CEO, says the culture of the company (mainly open-source minded) will stay the same:
Marten Mickos with The Next Web founders
“Sun’s culture and business model complements MySQL’s own by sharing the same ideals that we have had since our foundation — software freedom, online innovation and community and partner participation. We are tremendously excited to work with Sun and the millions of members of the MySQL open source ecosystem to continue to deliver the best database for powering the modern Web economy.”
Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz also elaborates on his blog.
We’ve had the pleasure of having dinner with Mårten in Amsterdam a few months back. We’ll try and contact him ASAP for a short interview regarding this news. Congratulations Mårten!
The Next Web Blog is closely associated with The Next Web Conference which is held annually in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. At this event speakers from all over the world come together to talk about, and show off, the future of the Web. (More info 
