With some delay compared to its rivals, IBM announced the availability of a free version of its database for the DB2 Express server. Unlike competitors, which impose limits on the size or the number of users accessing the platform simultaneously, Big Blue preferred to place restrictions on the level of memory capacity.
DB2 Universal Database Express-C is available for Linux and Windows and can run on servers with up to two processors dual-core, with a maximum of 4 GB of memory. The new database can be put into production, integrating offers of software from third parties and is available for download from www.ibm.com/db2/express.
DB2 Express-C drops some of the features present in the first version of DB2 Express, launched in 2003, namely the tools DB2 Warehouse Manager, Informix and DB2 Connect. Customers interested in IBM technical support services will also have to choose one of the commercial versions of the database.
The manufacturer has announced, however, that it intends to update the free version with the latest DB2 technologies, with a upgrade of software for the introduction of the capabilities associated with the future version of the database, codenamed «Viper», currently in beta testing, says in a statement.
IBM was the last of the three largest database manufacturers to come up with a free version of software for server. Microsoft took the initiative with the presentation of SQL Server 2005 Express, followed by Oracle, which at the end of last year introduced the Database 10g Express Edition.
