2015 Data Connectivity Outlook Survey

Marketing Manager, Progress DataDirect

Though we often refer to the “database wars” as an event that took place in  the ‘90s, the truth is that while the competition may have cooled as vendors consolidated, it never really stopped. With the proliferation of NoSQL and Big Data platforms, each with their own advantages, in addition to the fact that relational databases are still dominating the marketplace, it appears that the battle of database vendor consolidation is still going strong.

Last year, we released our 2014 Data Connectivity Outlook defining the lay of the database landscape. Back then, the big story was Big Data as we charted the rise of non-relational data sources like MongoDB and Hadoop. Now it’s time to check back in and see how things will stack up this year and beyond in our 2015 Data Connectivity Outlook survey.

The 2015 database vendor survey results are in

To no one’s surprise, two giants—SQL Server and Oracle—are still sitting at the top of the relational database heap, where it looks like they will remain for some time. The more interesting story is in the lower ranks where we expect to see future growth in emerging data sources like Amazon Redshift. As the market shifts, we expect these systems to gain traction in enterprise IT while interest in the old guard begins to level off. That’s not to say “SQL is dead,” of course. The world still runs on that technology, but forward-thinking companies need to continue to investigate and embrace new database technologies and the related big data and analytics advantages they offer.

While relational databases remain important, we are also seeing massive growth in the realms of NoSQL and Hadoop. These non-relational systems are not bound to the rigid structures of relational data, making them ideal for web-scale storage and easy development and maintenance of applications. MongoDB and Apache Hadoop are the clear leaders of their respective categories both now and in the foreseeable future.

The real database winners

As the database debate continues, more competitors consolidate and combine forces while new challengers toss their hat in the ring. It will become more and more difficult to predict what technology will come out on top in the long term. The real winners will be the visionary managers who pay attention to the latest trends and make sure to embrace the database technologies that are gaining the most traction right now. Smart IT managers recognize this debate as similar to other technology wars—such as VHS versus Beta, Blu-ray versus HD DVD, and PS3 versus Xbox. The implication here is that if you happen to bet on the technology that ends up going by the wayside, you could lose out in a big way with higher support and maintenance costs—and the ability to keep pace with storing and accessing the increasing avalanche of data.

Stay ahead of the database trends

You’ll want to download the full report now to get the whole story. Learn from the hundreds of vendor-neutral Progress® DataDirect® customers around the world who took the survey to discover the latest database technology trends for 2015 and beyond. And regardless of the database type you choose, it’s good to know that Progress has you covered with our Progress® DataDirect Connect® line of drivers, Progress® DataDirect Cloud™ and data preparation for better business intelligence with Progress® Easyl™.

Share your database predictions with us

What databases are you using? And which ones do you predict will be the dominant technologies in the next few years? Drop us a line or leave a comment below!