ORAVN

Will Oracle University support the Sun Certification Program?
Oracle plans to migrate and offer Sun certification offerings to Oracle certification offerings. Changes in the program will be communicated to candidates on the Sun and/or Oracle Certification Program Web pages. Please check these sites frequently if you have questions or concerns.

Will my Sun certification continue to be valid?
Any Sun certifications that you have earned will continue to be recognized by Oracle and remain valid for the version specified by your credential. Retirement or decommissioning of any certification track will be announced on the Oracle Certification Program Web page.

Will I be required to recertify as a result of Oracle's acquisition of Sun?
Credential holders will not need to retake exams in order to keep their current Sun credentials. Future certification offerings may require candidates to take an exam if they wish to upgrade. All program requirements will be explained on the Oracle Certification Program Web page.

Can I still get Sun certified? What should I do?
Yes. Sun certification is still available. Follow the paths and instructions that are posted on the Oracle Certification Program Web page. Any updates or changes in requirements will be posted there.

Will the Sun certification tracks or requirements change?
Sun certification tracks will be modified to follow Oracle's certification model: Associate, Professional, Master, and Expert. All changes to the Sun certification credential names, tracks, and requirements will be available on the Oracle Certification Program Web page.

What is the exam registration process?
Currently, Sun exams are administered at Authorized Prometric Testing Centers. Candidates who wish to take Sun exams should register for those exams under "Sun Microsystems" on Prometric's Web site.

How can I learn more about Sun certification?
Visit the Oracle Certification Program Web page for information about the Sun Certification Program. This site includes information on available tracks, requirements, and training.

Will my credential be branded Oracle or Sun?
For now, the credential will remain a Sun certification. In the future, Sun certification credentials will be fulfilled through the Oracle Certification Program. Any branding changes will be posted on the Oracle Certification Web page.

Will Oracle continue to sell individual and bundled ePractices?
Yes. ePractice exams will be available for individual purchase and also available within Classroom Value Packages.

How do I obtain vouchers for Sun exams through Oracle University?
Candidates will no longer need to obtain an exam voucher prior to registering for Sun exams at Prometric. Simply go to prometric.com/sun and pay the exam fee with your credit card during the registration process. If you already have an exam voucher, this can still be used as payment at Prometric when you register.

Will Oracle continue to offer the Certification Re-take Promotion?
Certification re-takes will be exclusive to Certification Value Packages. At this time, there are no plans to offer re-take promotions or re-take vouchers on a stand-alone basis.

Whom do I contact for Sun certification customer service inquiries?
Contact ocpexam_ww@oracle.com with Sun certification questions.

Oracle Makes Commitments to Customers, Developers and Users of MySQL

Redwood Shores, CA – December 14, 2009

Oracle has engaged in constructive discussions with the European Commission regarding the concerns expressed by the Commission about the Oracle/Sun Microsystems transaction, and in particular the maintenance of MySQL as a competitive force in the database market.

In order further to reassure the Commission, Oracle hereby publicly commits to the following:

1. Continued Availability of Storage Engine APIs. Oracle shall maintain and periodically enhance MySQL’s Pluggable Storage Engine Architecture to allow users the flexibility to choose from a portfolio of native and third party supplied storage engines.

MySQL’s Pluggable Storage Engine Architecture shall mean MySQL’s current practice of using, publicly-available, documented application programming interfaces to allow storage engine vendors to “plug” into the MySQL database server. Documentation shall be consistent with the documentation currently provided by Sun.

2. Non-assertion. As copyright holder, Oracle will change Sun’s current policy and shall not assert or threaten to assert against anyone that a third party vendor’s implementations of storage engines must be released under the GPL because they have implemented the application programming interfaces available as part of MySQL’s Pluggable Storage Engine Architecture.

A commercial license will not be required by Oracle from third party storage engine vendors in order to implement the application programming interfaces available as part of MySQL's Pluggable Storage Engine Architecture.

Oracle shall reproduce this commitment in contractual commitments to storage vendors who at present have a commercial license with Sun.

3. License commitment. Upon termination of their current MySQL OEM Agreement, Oracle shall offer storage vendors who at present have a commercial license with Sun an extension of their Agreement on the same terms and conditions for a term not exceeding December 10, 2014.

Oracle shall reproduce this commitment in contractual commitments to storage vendors who at present have a commercial license with Sun.

4. Commitment to enhance MySQL in the future under the GPL. Oracle shall continue to enhance MySQL and make subsequent versions of MySQL, including Version 6, available under the GPL. Oracle will not release any new, enhanced version of MySQL Enterprise Edition without contemporaneously releasing a new, also enhanced version of MySQL Community Edition licensed under the GPL. Oracle shall continue to make the source code of all versions of MySQL Community Edition publicly available at no charge.

5. Support not mandatory. Customers will not be required to purchase support services from Oracle as a condition to obtaining a commercial license to MySQL.

6. Increase spending on MySQL research and development. Oracle commits to make available appropriate funding for the MySQL continued development (GPL version and commercial version). During each of the next three years, Oracle will spend more on research and development (R&D) for the MySQL Global Business Unit than Sun spent in its most recent fiscal year (USD 24 million) preceding the closing of the transaction.

7. MySQL Customer Advisory Board. No later than six months after the anniversary of the closing, Oracle will create and fund a customer advisory board, including in particular end users and embedded customers, to provide guidance and feedback on MySQL development priorities and other issues of importance to MySQL customers.

8. MySQL Storage Engine Vendor Advisory Board. No later than six months after the anniversary of the closing, Oracle will create and fund a storage engine vendor advisory board, to provide guidance and feedback on MySQL development priorities and other issues of importance to MySQL storage engine vendors.

9. MySQL Reference Manual. Oracle will continue to maintain, update and make available for download at no charge a MySQL Reference Manual similar in quality to that currently made available by Sun.

10. Preserve Customer Choice for Support. Oracle will ensure that end-user and embedded customers paying for MySQL support subscriptions will be able to renew their subscriptions on an annual or multi-year basis, according to the customer’s preference.

The geographic scope of these commitments shall be worldwide and these commitments shall continue until the fifth anniversary of the closing of the transaction.