Apple buys flexible, fast database software firm FoundationDB with eye on the cloud
A report on Tuesday claims Apple recently purchased FoundationDB, a database software company that touts fast speeds via a durable and scalable NoSQL, ACID-compliant architecture.
According to TechCrunch, Apple acquired FoundationDB for an undisclosed sum, possibly to bolster server technologies attached to iTunes or iCloud.
A post on the firm's blog notes FoundationDB software can perform ACID-compliant transactions at 14,400,000 random writes per second, or 54 billion writes per hour. The system is also cost efficient at about 3.6 million database writes per penny.
The publication believes Apple could use FoundationDB technology in App Store, iTunes Connect or iTunes in the Cloud products, while a fringe possibility might see integration with a rumored TV streaming service. Recent rumblings suggest Apple is closing in on a deal that would offer Apple TV, iOS and Mac customers over-the-top content services for between $20 and $40 per month. Such an undertaking would likely require enhancements to Apple's existing infrastructure.
Neither company has confirmed the purchase, but FoundationDB announced through its website that it is no longer offering database software downloads.
Apple offered the usual boilerplate response, saying, "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."
According to TechCrunch, Apple acquired FoundationDB for an undisclosed sum, possibly to bolster server technologies attached to iTunes or iCloud.
A post on the firm's blog notes FoundationDB software can perform ACID-compliant transactions at 14,400,000 random writes per second, or 54 billion writes per hour. The system is also cost efficient at about 3.6 million database writes per penny.
The publication believes Apple could use FoundationDB technology in App Store, iTunes Connect or iTunes in the Cloud products, while a fringe possibility might see integration with a rumored TV streaming service. Recent rumblings suggest Apple is closing in on a deal that would offer Apple TV, iOS and Mac customers over-the-top content services for between $20 and $40 per month. Such an undertaking would likely require enhancements to Apple's existing infrastructure.
Neither company has confirmed the purchase, but FoundationDB announced through its website that it is no longer offering database software downloads.
Apple offered the usual boilerplate response, saying, "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."
Comments
I miss Bento, and AppleWorks before that.
I look forward to Apple buying this database software, developing it for a few years, losing interest and stopping development as they did for the aforementioned.
I miss Bento, and AppleWorks before that.
I look forward to Apple buying this database software, developing it for a few years, losing interest and stopping development as they did for the aforementioned.
There's a good chance that Apple doesn't intend to release this as an end-user product. They may be looking at it as a replacement for Oracle. Looking at the blog and brief descriptions, FoundationDB does not appear to be a consumer-grade database.
Steve and Larry Ellisons were best pals, however personal friendships typically don't transfer in management changes.
This gives Apple the opportunity to bring their RDBMS in house, develop it, add new functionality on their own schedule, not Oracle's release schedule. It gives Apple more control over their ecosystem, something we know Apple highly prizes.
Apple still has a consumer grade database in FileMaker.
Please go away. You add no value
There's a good chance that Apple doesn't intend to release this as an end-user product.
It is without doubt a "big data" move. The main attribute of ACID compliance is for transactions. I wonder if they plan on ditching Webobjects and go with a Swift-based platform to connect to this new DB.
I miss Bento, and AppleWorks before that.
I look forward to Apple buying this database software, developing it for a few years, losing interest and stopping development as they did for the aforementioned.
1. AppleWorks got too old. Apple moved forward with better software
2. Bento was Filemaker light. Filemaker Inc, Apple's subsidiary, realized this and went back to basics and focused on Filemaker Pro.
3. Apple uses SQLlite in a lot of its software. It still hasn't lost interest in it.
4. Apple won't lose interest in big-iron databases like FoundationDB. They become incorporated into its own infrastructure.
Remember that Apple only culls away the old.
reported for Trolling
I set up a poll.
http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/185398/the-banning-of-benjamin-frost
There's a good chance that Apple doesn't intend to release this as an end-user product. They may be looking at it as a replacement for Oracle. Looking at the blog and brief descriptions, FoundationDB does not appear to be a consumer-grade database.
Bad idea. The development cost of Oracle is amortized over tens of thousands of corporate users. This product would be amortized over one. This means that Oracle can afford to spend, nearly, 10,000x more resources than Apple can. Key point with software: it costs nearly the same to build no matter how many copies you sell.
This is, by the way, why Amazon and Microsoft and Google rent out their cloud infrastructure.
I set up a poll.
http://forums.appleinsider.com/t/185398/the-banning-of-benjamin-frost
This link needs to be posted at the top of every new thread! I'll be more than happy to assist in doing that.
The AI Mods are completely asleep at the wheel for allowing this nonsense to get as far as it did.
Bad idea. The development cost of Oracle is amortized over tens of thousands of corporate users.
Yeah but Oracle can't ditch it all and start over either. Apple has a history of doing so. When you are your only customer you can do whatever you want. With Oracle, like Microsoft, you have legacy customers to support.
This link needs to be posted at the top of every new thread! I'll be more than happy to assist in doing that.
Better to just use the link as a reply to his ridiculous comments. That way it is in context for new users.
Boom Baby!
Client / Server backend for Core Data coming up!
This architecture fits perfectly with Apple's Core Data.
You get direct key-value store access or an SQL layer.
If it is as fast as they claim, I say go for it.
https://foundationdb.com
Can't wait for WWDC June 8-12 2015
Go Apple! Go! Go! Go!
It's above my pay grade to make any comments about one DB vs another, but Apple must have seen something in this purchase that has legs for the future; even if it's only the IP.
That's very true.
That said, I'm thinking Apple's foray into medical uses may be related to this rather than rejigging iTunes etc.
WWDC is something I look forward to each year too - starting only a couple months after the last one is over.
It's above my pay grade to make any comments about one DB vs another, but Apple must have seen something in this purchase that has legs for the future; even if it's only the IP.
This DB is absolutely modern enterprise class stuff that scales.
Apple will get great IP and top notch DB engineers.
This is not really like MS SQL or Oracle or DB2.
It is modern, scalable and fault tolerant stuff with no old legacy bagage.
I don't think Apple will have much to clean up before releasing this.
You see this as a product rather than purely for in-house use then?
You see this as a product rather than purely for in-house use then?
I hope so. They may use it in iCloud since developers use iCloud for data storage but I sure hope they release this for local use as well.
Apple already has what they call "Core Data" API that currently uses an Apple customized version of SQLite as a DB store or XML or Raw.
FoundationDB is essentially that Apple customized SQLite on steroid.
Here is Core Data being used to create simple demo Application in Apple's new Swift language.
So FoundationDB would essentially replace SQLite in this case to facilitate larger more scalable DBs in iCloud or locally.
great idea!
I voted.
Any one else on this forum who wants this place to be troll free should also vote.
Benji has gone to far. It was okay when he would post some negative crap once a day. But its totally out of control now.
Done!
I miss Bento, and AppleWorks before that.
I look forward to Apple buying this database software, developing it for a few years, losing interest and stopping development as they did for the aforementioned.
Wow, how convenient. Do you REALLY miss Bento? So not only did you love and use Bento, you loved and used Apple Works before that? Which gives you a nice little segway to shit on this news, by trolling about a hypothetical scenario that sane minds know will never happen..as it's obvious that Apple is not planning to develop any consumer level database software, but to adopt these technologies for their cloud backend. But hey, that scenario sounds a little too boring and rational for the likes of you, so you invent a ridiculous scenario while lying about missing unrelated products so you can troll.