AppleInsider Staff
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."
Andrew Orr
William Gallagher
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50 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.
[quote name="Benjamin Frost" url="/t/185397/apple-buys-flexible-fast-database-software-firm-foundationdb-with-eye-on-the-cloud#post_2697431"]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. [/quote] 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.