Since EDB was founded, and especially over the last few years, we’ve seen a massive movement to open source database management solutions (DBMS) like Postgres. And this movement shows no signs of slowing down. Today, 80% of IT leaders expect to increase their use of open source software for emerging technologies, including their DBMS, according to a study by Red Hat.
Developers are totally on board with that, as you may have seen in the StackOverflow survey where they rated Postgres as their most admired and desired database.
This means enterprises’ open source initiatives and developers’ preferences are aligned. Developers want Postgres, and it makes good business sense to give it to them. Here’s why:
Freedom to innovate
Among the many pain points with legacy commercial databases is the lack of freedom and the sense that an inflexible database can’t accommodate a flexible vision. Database licenses, after all, are often designed to lock a company in with the solution provider they’ve selected. This arrangement limits what solutions and tools you can integrate with your database, how you can build your architecture and, ultimately, what you and your team can achieve.
But you won’t see that with databases like Postgres. Because open source databases aren’t commercial entities, they have no incentive to limit what tools developers can integrate into their technology stack. Postgres doesn’t strive to have control over your data and how you leverage it. In fact, if open source databases were so inflexible and controlling, they’d never have attained the innovative potential that makes them so popular.
More tools for less
One of the most common criticisms of commercial databases is that the cost doesn’t justify the results they offer. Not only might you find yourself paying for tools you never use but you’re also paying for the privilege of being told that some tools you want to use are out of bounds.
This is one reason enterprises turn to Postgres—it’s free! Even businesses who choose to invest in database specialist partners like EDB often report massive savings in comparison to their previous licenses, simply by virtue of not having to spend on internal support or database administration teams. Our value-added services and tools simplify management, reduce complexity and boost developer productivity, with automation capabilities that minimize manual intervention and enable enterprises to just use Postgres in the vast majority of use cases.
But, as with all good investments, the value of open source DBMS extends beyond simply saving money. Every dollar your enterprise isn’t spending on an expensive database that doesn’t actually empower their digital transformation can now go towards modernization initiatives that propel your enterprise to an industry leading position. Every second that DevOps and architecture teams don’t have to spend navigating an infrastructure unsuited to your organization’s ambitions can be spent innovating and evolving your applications. Every resource that didn’t provide you value before is now free for you and your developers to use as you will. No wonder developers love it.
Unmatched Oracle compatibility
If you have a relationship with Oracle, you may be leaning towards open source but still be hesitant to break away. We get it. While you don’t want to stay locked into an expensive contract, the idea of migrating your complex data and making your team learn a new system is daunting. If you’ve explored Oracle migration solutions, you’ve probably seen that most of them lead back to the same lock in you’re already facing. What’s a business to do?
To help ease migration, we designed our feature-rich Postgres platform to be compatible with Oracle database while enabling savings of up to 80% on software licensing and support. Because we make Postgres look, feel and operate like Oracle, developers can use their existing skill sets and there’s less training needed. Talk about a win–win for enterprises and developers.
Business-Critical Availability
Unplanned outages and upgrades can cost your company millions, tarnish your brand’s reputation, and even put developers’ jobs on the line. But 80% of data centers have experienced an outage in the past two years. Being prepared for outages is mandatory, and EDB Postgres Distributed can help by ensuring operational resiliency, scalability, and disaster recovery. With extreme high availability, it maximizes downtime and provides access to data and data applications—even through major version upgrades. It’s a giant weight off your team.
Specialized Postgres expertise and support
Compatibility with major open source solutions doesn’t automatically mean that your provider’s support team will be able to help your developers when your integrated Postgres has a problem. EDB, however, is the largest contributor to Postgres. We’re actively involved in the Postgres community and are helping to shape the future of Postgres. So when you partner with EDB, you’re getting the support of a true expert who is ready and able to jump in and help you when things don’t go according to plan. We not only understand the technology, we helped build it.
Your Future starts with Postgres
Ultimately, the reasons why developers love Postgres are the same reasons you’ll love it. It offers them the flexibility to excel at their jobs and innovate and grow with their ambitions and your organization. So there’s every reason to put the power of Postgres in the hands of your tech team. The results will speak for themselves.