Sybase could be coming soon to a sports arena near you. (Sybase Inc.)

In a bid to boost public awareness of its name and products, Sybase Inc. is sponsoring major sporting events, and the effort appears to be paying off.

Although the Emeryville-based relational database software company is on track to become a $1 billion business this year, few people outside of investment and technology circles have heard of it. Even fewer know what it does.

But that's changing as the company unfolds a strategy to put its name on the map through sponsoring such events as the World Cup soccer tournament last year and the Sybase Open tennis tournament in San Jose earlier this month.

"We're considering everything from golf and tennis to things …