Many organizations consider MySQL as a database because the initial license cost is free ^(*). Larger organizations that use Oracle and SQL Server also consider implementing MySQL as a means to lower the total cost of software infrastructure due to the initial cost for new software licenses or expensive upgrades due to new hardware.

However free software does not mean that services to support MySQL should be also free or even cheap. Recently a large multi-national customer wanted professional consulting and training for MySQL resources and they seemed shocked that I wanted to charge a reasonable rate for professional services. My MySQL consulting rates are cheaper then industry MySQL peers and also similar skilled resources providing Oracle consulting.

With over 10 years experience in MySQL, many doing consulting and also over 10 years professional experience before MySQL I am more then qualified to provide the best possible consulting available for architecture design, performance analysis and tuning, high availability, training and education. My significant contributions to the MySQL community including blogging, speaking and presenting is also not an indicator that companies should expect a significantly different nor cheaper price for professional consulting.