Companies need a strong strategy to thrive. A database management system should be tailored to the products and services of a company. Choosing the right one is critical, since it’s responsible for holding important business development information and carrying out hundreds of crucial transactions every day. If you’re at a lost about which system is right for your organization, the following tips might prove beneficial.
Database systems have become a commodity similar to food items or computers. Price, quality and functionality differ between products, and an individual must do his or her research to choose the best one on the market. There are packaged and open source options available; Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, IBM, Microsoft, NCR Teradata, Oracle, Progress, SAS Institute and Sybase are just a few. Three suppliers in particular, Oracle, IMB and Microsoft, dominate 85% of the market and continue to achieve steady revenue growth. Whether one of the “big three” is right for you, however, depends if its criteria is a good match for the needs of your company. Take the time to gather information about a database management system before making a judgement.
Oracle database versions have gone through a long process of improvement to achieve the high standard of quality that users enjoy today. Popular offerings include Oracle 7, Oracle 8, Oracle 8i, Oracle 9i, Oracle 10g and Oracle Database 11g in beta. The Fusion application platform is commonly paired with an Oracle product, although users can use a different database with the software if they prefer.
Interested individuals should take a look at every version of this database management system. The standard edition features basic functionality and is ideal for servers that have one to four processors. The Enterprise edition is required for servers with more than four CPUs. This edition has more security and performance features to ensure optimal usability; there are no limits on memory and it’s compatible with Oracle Real Application Clusters software.
In addition, users can opt for the Express Edition that runs on Linux Personal Edition and Windows. This version has a single usage license and Database Lite so that it can operate on mobile devices. The company Powergen implemented this product along with Oracle Warehouse Builder to make it simple to centralize customer information and conduct analysis on which clients are the most profitable.
This is the second most popular database management system. Like Oracle, there are a plethora of suites available for both a mainframe computer and a handheld device. The latest is the DB2 version 9, codenamed Viper, which offers several licensing agreements so that users won’t have to pay for the features they won’t need. Other incarnations include Workgroup, Workgroup Unlimited and Enterprise Server Edition.
If you use Linux, Windows or Unix, the DB2 Datawarehouse Enterprise Edition is designed to handle a mixed workload that is perfect for modern companies, such as online transaction processing along with datawarehousing or business intelligence implementations. Impressive features include transforming and loading, extraction, data mining, online analytical processing acceleration and inline analytics.
Advanced development, security and business intelligence technology is what makes Microsoft SQL Server a great database management system. The company has integrated the system with the Windows Server software stack for ease of use. The latest edition is the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 with four different versions: Express, Workgroup, Standard and Enterprise. Other options include Developer, Compact and Mobile.
As an example, the company London Underground has successfully integrated its main project management application, Primavera Enterprise 5.0, into a bespoke SQL Server 2000 called Master Project Database. It can handle up to 1,700 projects simultaneously for the organization.
Of course, individuals should also consider open source database management products. Smaller suppliers have made a name for themselves by providing quality products to niche markets. They are always improving in scalability and functionality, making them a viable choice for organizations looking for cost effective and high performing systems. Renowned products include Ingres, PostgreSQL and MySQL.
Before making a final decision, individuals should weigh performance measures such as inventory control, banking services and reservation services to decide which database management system is an ideal fit. Hopefully, information on popular systems can help you make the wisest choice for your organization.
