To that end, Oracle is positioning MySQL against Microsoft SQL Server, claiming it offers significant cost savings. But Oracle has competition of its own from various MySQL offshoot projects such as MariaDB.

MySQL's future under Oracle ownership came under close scrutiny when the company moved to purchase its previous owner, Sun Microsystems. Many community members feared that Oracle would choke off MySQL in order to protect its flagship proprietary database.

One expert took a measured view of MySQL's fate so far under Oracle.

"I expected Oracle's acquisition of MySQL to professionalize its development," said analyst Curt Monash of Monash Research. "So far, they've seemed to live up to that."

"Oracle would rather be cannibalized by MySQL than by something it doesn't own," Monash added. "But it would much rather yet not be cannibalized at all."