1. Oracle
Oracle began its journey in 1979 as the first commercially available relational database management system (RDBMS).
Oracle's name is synonymous with enterprise database systems,
unbreakable data delivery and fierce corporate competition from CEO
Larry Ellison. Powerful but complex database solutions are the mainstay
of this Fortune 500 company (currently 105th but 27th in terms of
profitability).
2. SQL Server
Say what you will about Microsoft and its interesting collection of
officers. It's profitability exceeds all other tech companies, and SQL
Server helped put it there. Sure, Microsoft's desktop operating system
is everywhere, but if you're running a Microsoft Server, you're likely
running SQL Server on it. SQL Server's ease of use, availability and
tight Windows operating system integration makes it an easy choice for
firms that choose Microsoft products for their enterprises. Currently,
Microsoft touts SQL Server 2008 as
the platform for business intelligence solutions.
3. DB2
Big Blue puts the
big into data centers with DB2. DB2 runs on Linux, UNIX, Windows and mainframes. IBM pits
its DB2 9.7 system squarely in competition with Oracle's 11g, via the
International Technology Group, and shows significant cost savings for
those that migrate to DB2 from Oracle. How significant? How does 34
percent to 39 percent for comparative installations over a three-year
period sound?
4. Sybase
Sybase is still a major force in the enterprise market after 25 years
of success and improvements to its Adaptive Server Enterprise product.
Although its market share dwindled for a few years, it's returning with
powerful positioning in the next-generation transaction processing
space. Sybase has also thrown a considerable amount of weight behind the
mobile enterprise by delivering partnered solutions to the mobile
device market.
5. MySQL
MySQL began as a niche database system for developers but grew into a
major contender in the enterprise database market. Sold to Sun
Microsystems in 2008, MySQL is currently part of the Oracle empire
(January 2010).
More
than just a niche database now, MySQL powers commercial websites by the
hundreds of thousands and a huge number of internal enterprise
applications. Although MySQL's community and commercial adopters had
reservations about Oracle's ownership of this popular open source
product, Oracle has publicly declared its commitment to ongoing
development and support.
6. PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL, the world's most advanced
open
source database, hides in such interesting places as online gaming
applications, data center automation suites and domain registries. It
also enjoys some high-profile duties at Skype, Yahoo! and MySpace.
PostgreSQL is in so many strange and obscure places that it might
deserve the moniker, "Best Kept Enterprise Database Secret." Version
9.0, currently in beta, will arrive for general consumption later this
year.
7. Teradata
Have you ever heard of Teradata? If you've built a large data
warehouse in your enterprise, you probably have. As early as the late
1970s, Teradata laid the groundwork for the first data warehouse --
before the term existed. It created the first terabyte database for
Wal-Mart in 1992. Since that time, data warehousing experts almost
always say Teradata in the same sentence as enterprise data warehouse.
8. Informix
Another IBM product in the list brings you to Informix. IBM offers
several Informix versions -- from its limited Developer Edition, to its
entry-level Express Edition, to a low-maintenance online transaction processing (OLTP)
Workgroup Edition all the way up to its high-performance OLTP
Enterprise Edition. Often associated with universities and colleges,
Informix made the leap to the corporate world to take a No. 1 spot in
customer satisfaction. Informix customers often speak of its low cost,
low maintenance and high reliability.
9. Ingres
Ingres is the parent open source project of PostgreSQL and other
database systems, and it is still around to brag about it. Ingres is all
about choice and choosing might mean lowering your total cost of
ownership for an enterprise database system. Other than an attractive
pricing structure, Ingres prides itself on its ability to ease your
transition from costlier database systems. Ingres also incorporates
security features required for HIPPA and Sarbanes Oxley compliance.
10. Amazon's SimpleDB
Databases and Amazon.com seem worlds apart, but they aren't. Amazon's
SimpleDB offers enterprises a simple, flexible and inexpensive
alternative to traditional database systems. SimpleDB boasts low
maintenance, scalability, speed and Amazon services integration. As part
of Amazon's EC2 offering, you can get started with SimpleDB for free.
