How to select the best DBMS software: A buyer's guide

Editor's note

The database management system is the heart of modern applications, and choosing the best DBMS software for your organization is imperative to the success of your IT projects and systems. Although the database landscape can be complex and confusing, this buyer's guide has simplified the process to help you sort through the different types of database management system (DBMS) software to determine which technology or technologies will best fit your organization.  

Despite the fact that the relational DBMS has dominated the market for years, today's IT departments have needs that go way beyond what this type of DBMS can provide. That has led to the increased popularity of other types of DBMS software, namely NoSQL and in-memory. 

Today's IT departments that need to process unstructured data or data sets with a highly variable structure may wish to consider a NoSQL DBMS. Applications that require high-speed transactions and rapid response rates, or that perform complex analytics on data in real time or near-real time, can benefit from an in-memory DBMS. And, in some cases, IT departments will want to consider combining multiple database technologies for some processing needs.

In this guide, we will help you determine your specific needs and objectives and the must-have features that will factor into selecting the best DBMS software for your organization. We will also show you how other companies are using DBMS software, and identify some of the leading vendors and the products they offer.