[Some of] the Best DB2 Things are Free

If you're a DB2 person, you've probably heard of DB2 Express-C. It's the full-function DB2 for Linux/UNIX/Windows (LUW) product that you can use and deploy - even in a production environment - for free. One of the really nice things about DB2 Express-C isn't even part of the product. I'm referring to the FreeDB2 blog written by IBM's Leon Katsnelson.

Leon has been an important part of the DB2 for LUW development organization for years and years, and throughout that time he's been an outstanding ambassador for the product, delivering great "news you can use" presentations at conferences all over the world and providing lots more DB2 information to users via electronic channels. A lot of what I know about DB2, especially from a client/server perspective, I learned from Leon.

FreeDB2.com has, as you'd expect, plenty of great information related to DB2 Express-C, but it also gets into free software in general, and free DBMS software in particular (I like the way Leon puts it: that's "free as in beer"). There's also a "Chat with Leon" feature on the site (Leon, energetic as he is, is not always online, but you can leave him a message when he isn't).

When the work that a person does reflects his passion, the result is usually very good work indeed. For as long as I've known Leon, I've been impressed with his passion for application development in a DB2 context. He knows that database software, however technically advanced it might be, is of little value if it is not serving applications that enable organizations to better serve their customers, employees, and stakeholders. DB2 Express-C is all about broadening the community of people who develop applications on a DB2 data-serving foundation. The same can be said of FreeDB2.com. Thanks, Leon, for continuing to carry that torch.