To some, the database is a low-level infrastructure component of a much larger application -- something that only developers, DBAs and operations staff need to care or worry about.
However, in the digital economy, data is the raw currency. How an organization stores, manages, analyzes and uses data has a direct impact on its success -- and its costs. Its choice of database affects how quickly it can deliver new applications to market, support business growth and improve customer experience. Consider these examples:
- After trying for eight years to build a single view of their customer, one of the world’s leading insurance companies changed database and delivered the project in just three months
- A leading telecommunications provider adopted a new database technology and were able to accelerate time to market by 4x, reduce engineering costs by 50% and improve customer experience by 10x
- A Tier 1 investment bank rebuilt its globally-distributed reference data platform on a new database technology, enabling it to save an estimated $40M over five years
- Singles can now find their ideal partner 95% faster after one of the world’s leading relationship providers switched data and machine learning to a new platform
Why is database selection becoming so critical? Because the requirements of modern applications and the demands of sophisticated, data-savvy users are changing. Data is being generated at much faster rates than ever before and can yield insights never previously possible. The data no longer fits neatly into structured rows and columns. Windows of market opportunity are getting smaller. Underlying infrastructure is being commoditized, with powerful systems available for just pennies per hour.
The database chosen by a project team can be the enabler -- or the blocker -- to success. All of the assumptions that have dictated database selection over the past 30 years are being revisited as a result of the factors discussed above.
To learn more about the challenges some of the world’s largest and most innovative companies faced, and how their selection of database enabled them to deliver applications and outcomes that were never previously possible, download our new whitepaper