Data platforms failing to meet requirements of today, survey shows

Many businesses are reconsidering their existing data platforms, according to new research from SingleStore.

The research shows 82% of IT professionals admit that they manage different versions of the same database, and nearly three-quarters (74.4%) said that they run into issues with their current data warehouses.

More than half of those surveyed said that hiring and retaining IT professionals to manage their databases is the biggest database-related challenge their organisations face, and more than a third said that they plan to replace their current database solution in the next quarter or two.

One issue is in juggling databases. For instance, many organisations are investing in and operating separate operational databases and analytics databases.

Nearly a third (30%) of survey respondents said that their companies use two data platforms, and nearly a fifth (19%) said that they have to juggle five or more databases.

Organisations frequently employ multiple databases because they require a range of functionality, however, many organisations also manage different versions of the same database.

In fact, 81.7% of IT professionals said that their organisations manage different versions of the same databases. Of this group, 42.5% said that they manage two versions of the same database, and more than a tenth (11.9%) said they manage more than five versions.

On specific databases being used, more than half (56.7%) of the survey group said that Microsoft SQL Server is their main database, and nearly as many (54%) said that Amazon Aurora is their main database.

However, more than a quarter (27%) of IT professionals said that they plan to replace their Amazon Aurora (27%), Microsoft SQL Server (14.5%), Amazon Redshift (8.3%) or Oracle (8.1%) on-premises database.

A smaller share of the survey group said that they use a Cockroach (9.5%) or Snowflake (7.1%) database. However, nearly all (91.8%) of the IT professionals who said that they use a Cockroach or Snowflake database said they also use a back-up database to cover all of their data needs.

Nearly three-quarters (74.4%) of IT professionals run into issues with their current data warehouses.

In fact, more than half (53.2%) of IT professionals surveyed said they struggle to hire and retain teams who can manage their databases, and close to half (48.6%) said that they face management and support challenges with their current data platforms.

IT professionals also voiced their frustration with the performance and scalability shortcomings, high costs and lack of functionality with their existing data platforms.

The research shows 44% said the biggest database-related challenge that their company faces involves performance and scalability limitations, 31.3% said their legacy databases are wasting valuable budget on cost inefficiencies, and 23.6% said they need separate solutions for artificial intelligence and machine learning.

SingleStore CEO Raj Verma says, "Organisations don't need to contend with cost and complexity, lack of cloud support, performance and scalability limitations, and multiple database platforms.

"Legacy and one-trick pony databases are holding companies back from reaching their peak potential. The reality is that organisations are accelerating cloud adoption and data analytics to engage and deliver world-class customer experiences and act in the moments that matter."

Verma says, "Business leaders are coming to the realisation that their existing technology cannot keep up with the data requirements of today and tomorrow.

"Now, more than ever before, fast wins over slow when it comes to data; affordable wins over expensive; and the ability to store and securely access any data anywhere is a winning strategy for organisations.

The research is based on a 500-person survey, which Propeller Insights conducted in January.