We offer you the chance to use a professionally maintained database server for use with your account. You can use this to create dynamic web applications such as customer databases accessible to anyone anywhere in the world, e-commerce catalogs, centralised stock control or a club membership database.

If you have a fast ADSL connection, you could even run software in your office which utilises the same data source that your customers are accessing using your website. This could enable you to deal with website visitors in real-time.

We operate MySQL database servers, which have a very good reputation for speed and reliability. Other users of MySQL include Yahoo!, Tucows and many other large, high-volume sites. The developers of MySQL have been using it since 1996 in an environment with more than 40 databases containing 10,000 tables, of which more than 500 have more than 7 million rows. This is about 100 gigabytes of mission-critical data.

What do I get?

For each MySQL database, you are allocated 25MB of storage space (please note that this is separate from your webspace storage). When you need it, you can purchase further space (in units of 25MB) at a cost of £45 per annum.

In addition to the usual methods of accessing the database (installing the client software on your PC, using web-based scripts), we offer in addition a web-based administration tool at mysql.. You can use this tool to modify your database, create tables, edit your data, upload (import) data in bulk and download (backup) your data.

How much does it cost?

Each database is charged at £135 per annum, while setup costs £45. If you choose to install several databases at once, only one setup charge will apply.

How can I order a MySQL database?

What is MySQL?

MySQL is a database management system. A database is a structured collection of data. It may be anything from a simple shopping list to a picture gallery or the vast amounts of information in a corporate network. To add, access, and process data stored in a computer database, you need a database management system such as MySQL. Since computers are very good at handling large amounts of data, database management plays a central role in computing, as stand-alone utilities, or as parts of other applications.

MySQL is a relational database management system. A relational database stores data in separate tables rather than putting all the data in one big storeroom. This adds speed and flexibility. The tables are linked by defined relations making it possible to combine data from several tables on request. The SQL part of MySQL stands for "Structured Query Language" - the most common standardized language used to access databases.

Why use MySQL?