It probably won't slow the amazing growth of Microsoft's SQL Server database, a cornerstone of the company's earnings in recent years. However, a quirky Swedish company with a big Seattle presence may steal a bit of the limelight when Microsoft's new database is released next spring. MySQL develops an open source database widely used by Internet companies such as Google, Amazon.com and Zillow and downloaded about 50,000 times a day. Similar to Linux, the MySQL software was hatched by visionary hobbyists in Finland.