Business Development Director at a tech consulting company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Good database with decent performance
Pros and Cons
  • "Oracle is a good database with decent performance, which is fortunate because we are required to use this database for our ERP system. Even if we thought Oracle was the worst database in the world, we would still have to use it."
  • "In my opinion, the pricing of all the additional tools that Oracle provides is very complicated. The pricing model is very unfriendly for the user, and for the web vendors."

What is our primary use case?

We use Oracle Database for our ERP systems mainly because we provide IFS for customers and the IFS utilizes Oracle Database. We generally don't use other Oracle tools because of a bad experience with an R&D project in the past where we had to find the best solution for AI/neural network platforms.

We assessed using Oracle for these AI platforms, but we had plenty of problems with the proper setup of the test version of Oracle Cloud. Frankly speaking, we stopped testing and using Oracle in this R&D project and switched to other tools that are simpler to setup and simpler to understand the pricing. No one was sure how much would have to be paid for the platform to support our AI requirements such as natural language recognition and other things.

Because of these factors, we have essentially stopped using the other Oracle tools and we now only use Oracle Database for the ERP systems that we run for ourselves and for our customers. For this purpose, we use Oracle as a permanent database that is situated on-premises. We have quite a wide range of versions of Oracle Database amongst ourselves and our customers because many of them are older installations that are still operating. In all, there are about 10,000 users of Oracle Database throughout our customers, and perhaps 2,000 users in my organization.

What is most valuable?

Oracle is a good database with decent performance, which is fortunate because we are required to use this database for our ERP system. Even if we thought Oracle was the worst database in the world, we would still have to use it.

What needs improvement?

In my opinion, the pricing of all the additional tools that Oracle provides is very complicated. The pricing model is very unfriendly for the user, and for the web vendors.

When it comes to new features, we don't desire anything at this moment. We are completely dependent on this ERP system which we provide and we only need the tools from Oracle that our ERP system needs, and nothing more. Our only concern is the performance of the database. If Oracle could make the performance better on low-end hardware, that would be nice. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Oracle Database for 10 years. 

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

As far as I know, we have no problems with stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good.

How are customer service and support?

There have been no issues with their technical support. As I am aware, we have had issues in the past, especially with servers and other things, but today there are no special issues or problems. Everything is quite well-addressed by Oracle, in my opinion.

How was the initial setup?

The setup of the Oracle database for an ERP system is generally quite simple. There are specific installation steps that are completely scripted by the ERP system, so you simply have to do everything the documentation asks you to do, and that's all. There's nothing special or super difficult about it and we are generally able to install a database within a day.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We mainly use a special license for ERP systems specifically, instead of a general purpose license. This ERP-focused license is very simple. You just have to use Oracle Database with an ERP system and that's it.

What other advice do I have?

As databases go, Oracle Database is quite a good database with decent performance, and I think that's all there needs to be said.

I would rate it an eight out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Kopano  Ramaphoi - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at SmartCloud
Real User
Top 10
Performs well, easy to use, and the technical support is quite good
Pros and Cons
  • "In general, Oracle is quite good. It's a large database that houses many applications."
  • "When you try to tell customers that you can critically patch their system, they always complain about the cost."

What is our primary use case?

Because I worked with various organizations, most of the time we used it for government and other centers, such as managing transport systems.

What is most valuable?

It performs quite well.

In general, Oracle is quite good. It's a large database that houses many applications.

In terms of backup Basically, I believe that will depend, particularly on backup and those components, on the knowledge that you have. However, if you have the proper knowledge, it should not be a problem for you. The database does not cause problems when properly configured and best practices of database administration are followed.

When compared to others such as Postgres, Oracle is a very good database.

Oracle Database is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

The only issue was the same as with the EDS licenses. When you try to tell customers that you can critically patch their system, they always complain about the cost. In terms of pricing, I believe Oracle should be aware of this fact. I'm not sure if it's because it's only happening here in Africa, but some of the guys I spoke with prefer to patch all the time. When you ask people in this town, "Look guys, can you critically patch the system?" they will tell you it's too expensive.

That, I believe, is a major issue. But with that solution, I'm not sure how it can be resolved, but I think most people will be willing to always do patches on a monthly, quarterly basis, as Oracle recommends.

They can increase the number of products available in free accounts for people to try. So many more people will be able to migrate to the cloud.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Oracle Database for approximately five years.

We are using both old and new versions.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Oracle Database is quite scalable.

They have a large number of options depending on the needs of the organization, allowing any organization to deploy according to their requirements. You can add or remove items as time allows, it's very scalable.

In our organization, we have more than 100, but less than 1,000 users.

Recently, I proposed the migration from on-premises to the cloud. I've noticed that alternatives are bringing a lot in the business, particularly in the cloud spectrum. Convincing customers to try to migrate to the cloud today is another task. It's more like there's something frightening there. I'm not sure what they're afraid of, but it's a matter of education and demonstration. I can download Oracle Database and experiment with it on my own, as long as I'm not using it for commercial purposes. I can do it if I try it on my own. 

I believe they should increase that even in the cloud. They have an Oracle Always Free account on the cloud, but it has a time limit, of a month. They will give you one month's free package for you to try. I have tried it many times. What I've noticed is that they should add more products to the Always Free account so that people, particularly on our continent, who are still skeptical of the cloud, are not left out.

They believe they will inquire as to where we will store our information. How do you know you're getting access to our data? As a result, there is still a lot of information that needs to be taught. I think the best thing Oracle could do is try to improve on that so that most people can keep trying and see that there's nothing to be skeptical about.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is quite good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is quite easy. In part, it is easy depending on the scope of the project. Maybe it's different for each project. For example, if you need to set up a rec, you need to know what is required, because this is a single database.

It took a few hours to deploy.

What about the implementation team?

For my personal use, I completed the installation myself. 

When deploying for production, I worked with a partner who had a specialized team of system administrators and application developers.

This solution is only deployed and maintained by me.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It's been quite a long time since I looked into the price.

What other advice do I have?

I believe they should also devote more time to learning Oracle. They will also notice that Oracle is not difficult to install or administer if best practices are followed. And, depending on your goals, I believe anyone can do it. Because Oracle Database has so many features, you can do audit vaults and data guides on it, depending on how you want to run your business.

Another thing I would recommend is that people be aware that Oracle has opened its website for people to sign up for free and then download the software for practice, study, or training purposes only. If you intend to use it for production purposes, that is when you should purchase a license.

Because of the prices, I would rate Oracle Database a nine out of ten, otherwise, I think that Oracle is still the best.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
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May 2024
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Technical Lead at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Helpful functionally, good support, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Oracle Database is all the functionalities. When we write a code we sometimes have to create an explicit functionality to process the data that we want. At times we find that there is already existing functionality in data created by Oracle itself, it is helpful."
  • "The integration can be made much easier for the Oracle tools, for example, Oracle Database or OPI. The integration sometimes can be a little complicated for us because we have to do a number of integrations with other tools, such as Oracle computation. The integration could be more streamlined and easier to work with."

What is our primary use case?

I worked on private on-premises and hybrid cloud deployments.

We use Oracle Database primary for business intelligence in the telecom domain. We are generating all of our KPIs. Additionally, we use it for data warehousing purposes.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Oracle Database is all the functionalities. When we write a code we sometimes have to create an explicit functionality to process the data that we want. At times we find that there is already existing functionality in data created by Oracle itself, it is helpful.

What needs improvement?

The integration can be made much easier for the Oracle tools, for example, Oracle Database or OPI. The integration sometimes can be a little complicated for us because we have to do a number of integrations with other tools, such as Oracle computation. The integration could be more streamlined and easier to work with.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Oracle Database for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Oracle Database is a very stable solution. If we find a bug or issue then we have to log those ourselves with Oracle. After some time we receive a patch update to fix those problems.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Oracle Database is scalable.

I would recommend Oracle Database for large enterprises because the smaller companies would not be able to afford it.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support of Oracle Database is okay. The last time I was working in South Africa and when I have to use the Oracle support of South Africa it was poor. We did not receive a proper response from Oracle then. Every time we had to escalate our issues or we had to log with Oracle to have the higher-level management. Eventually, our issues were resolved. However, I have never had an issue with the support from Oracle in India or the USA.

How was the initial setup?

The implementation of the Oracle Database can be a lengthy process. It is not difficult, but it can take a lot of time.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I do not have first-hand knowledge of the price of the support. However, I have heard from my seniors or the experienced people who work on the pricing and scaling, the price of Oracle is a bit higher. The reason is Oracle provides enterprise-level applications, only large enterprises can afford Oracle applications or tools.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Oracle Database an eight out of ten.

I rated the solution an eight because there is still a lot of improvement needed. The user experience could be better, the interfaces could improve.

I know that there are a couple of new applications already out by Oracle, such as Oracle Analytical Services and Oracle Analytical Clouds, which are more user-friendly. Oracle needs to make databases more user-friendly and easier to work on. At this time we have to login into the front end and the backend to do a lot of configurations and it would be much better if we had some type of interface to work on.

If I want to teach someone who is totally new to this environment, he or she might have worked in some other applications similar to Oracle Database, such as SQL Server or MySQL, but if I want them to learn in Oracle it can be difficult for us to teach them. It would be much better if the overall solution was easier to use.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Petr Bunka - PeerSpot reviewer
System Architect at CGI
Real User
A stable solution which performs well and is suitable for enterprise applications
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is stable and has good performance."
  • "The licensing could be cheaper and clearer."

What is our primary use case?

We use version 12c, but are planning to migrate to 19c. 

The solution is suitable for enterprise applications. We use it for trade systems and a betting system. We use it with applications that need a huge amount of data, such as SQL enterprise applications.

What needs improvement?

The licensing could be cheaper and clearer. It is not clear how it applies to certain options. The licensing of the solution for only several virtual servers is a big issue which should be addressed. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Oracle Database for many years, perhaps since 2001. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

How are customer service and support?

I have not had direct contact with tech support, although my colleagues have. 

How was the initial setup?

I cannot comment on the initial installation, as it is handled by the Database Administrator, not I. He possesses the skill to install the solution and has never mentioned any issues with this. Perhaps my colleagues would be in a position to give a more comprehensive answer. 

What about the implementation team?

In respect of the deployment and maintenance, we have two administrators, developers, an architect and a tester who are in charge of four applications. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing could be cheaper and clearer. It is not clear how it applies to certain options. The licensing of the solution for only several virtual servers is a big issue which should be addressed. 

The license is yearly. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Although I would recommend the solution for certain applications, as there are licensing issues, I would prefer to use PostgreSQL where possible. 

What other advice do I have?

There are many people making use of the solution in my organization, including developers, testers, end users and end application users. We may be talking about thousands. But when it comes to those with personal experience using the solution, we are talking about 40 or 50 people. 

We plan to continue using the solution, as there are certain applications of ours which must remain on Oracle Database. 

The solution is stable and has good performance. Licensing is the big issue we encounter. 

Were I to rate Oracle Database strictly on its technical capabilities, I would have to give it a rating of nine out ten. However, its licensing issues bring this rating down to seven. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
AhmedElbadry - PeerSpot reviewer
NMS Service Automation & RPA Technical Lead at Vodafone
Real User
Top 10
Easy to use, stable, and offers good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "Technical support is helpful."
  • "Sometimes they tell us we can't upgrade the database for now as there's a vulnerability Oracle couldn't find a solution for."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is a black box for us. I'm working on it for maintenance and check everything - check the cables, check the relationship between cables to serve this product, et cetera. Sometimes our customer needs to extract some information from the system via our extension for the database to extract this info directly from the database and not from the system. 

We didn't interact more on the database so the use cases are mostly related to the extraction of information in tables. To check the database status, we have another system, a geosystem, so we check the replication between the two systems. Some operations are a little more than general development on the database.

What is most valuable?

The database is very easy to use. 

We are making some automation scripts. We are working to minimize and reduce the logs and it's very helpful to be able to have the capabilities to do this.

The solution is very stable. 

Technical support is helpful.

What needs improvement?

We didn't have any complaints about Oracle Database except for the vulnerability we see in some aspects of the product. Sometimes we receive some vulnerability email from the security team and it's sent to the product owner to check the vulnerability. Sometimes they tell us we can't upgrade the database for now as there's a vulnerability Oracle couldn't find a solution for. After one month or two, they're back to us and let us know they've solved it. They need to do a better job of patching security issues they find and making those patches happen faster.

The solution is a bit expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have an intermediate amount of experience with Oracle. I've used it for a while. I've been used it for about a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is very scalable. Ours was managing about 5,000 servers all over Egypt. The performance and historical transaction on sites is good, and if you need more storage on your database, you can do so with relative ease.  

We have 200 users logged in at any given time.

How are customer service and technical support?

Support is very good. If I have an issue, I simply open a case with Oracle. They are very helpful and responsive. We're satisfied with the support. They've been good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did previously use Microsoft SQL. We found it to be very fast and responsive. We're still using it, actually. It is the database for our distribution.

How was the initial setup?

I cannot speak to the implementation process. I'm not sure how easy or difficult the setup is as I did not handle any aspect of it.

That said, if I have the manual and steps for installation, I can install it.

We have three people on staff that can handle maintenance. They're all engineers.

What about the implementation team?

We had a vendor that handled the implementation for us.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I find the pricing to be high. They should work to lower it if possible. 

We pay a yearly licensing and support fee to Oracle. I can't speak to the exact costs, however.

What other advice do I have?

I can't recall the exact version number of the solution, however, it's my understanding that it is version 11.

I'd rate the product at a nine out of ten. We've been quite pleased with the overall capabilities so far.

I'd recommend the solution to other users and companies. We've been very happy with its capabilities overall. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Consultant at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Consultant
We can optimize the database for authorizing expenditure and other resource-heavy functions
Pros and Cons
  • "The database performance. We can optimise the database for authorising expenditure and other resource-heavy functions."
  • "They could improve the storage and network overhead."

What is our primary use case?

We use this on-premise and cloud technology for our client databases.

How has it helped my organization?

Oracle thinks about the global customer, but the technology is only part of the solution.

What is most valuable?

The database performance. We can optimize the database for authorizing expenditure and other resource-heavy functions.

What needs improvement?

They could improve the storage and network overhead. They could minimize the storage to improve performance further. You have to optimize the resources according to your project.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using the Oracle Database for a few years. I am the Customer Service Manager. Claro Colombia is the first telecommunications company in Colombia and a subsidiary of an American company based in Mexico. It's considered to be the third-largest company in South America outside China.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Oracle Database is stable and reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Oracle Database is scalable and can be used with various sizes of projects.

How was the initial setup?

We have to plan to simplify the setup, as it includes integration. The traditional infrastructure needs to adapt to the new technology, and Oracle introduces extra data into the mix. You have to establish if the project is small, large, or medium. This means the system is designed for the size of the customer or project.

What about the implementation team?

We used integrators and consultants, including internal resources and external consulting. We used our internal install team with external consulting assistance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I would rate the Oracle Database an eight out of 10 as a solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Product manager at Metrodata Electronics Tbk PT
Real User
Competitive pricing, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The pricing is very competitive. Oracle is still the number one database company. From the technical aspects, Oracle Database is the best solution for small, medium, and big industries."
  • "I'm in Indonesia. From what I know, Ali Cloud has already built a center in Indonesia, and Google also has a data center in Indonesia. I have heard that Amazon will also build a data center in Indonesia, and the same will be with Azure if they deal with the Indonesian government. I'm quite appreciative of what Amazon has done by deciding to have a local data center. I expect Oracle to do the same, but Oracle doesn't seem to have plans to build a data center in Indonesia. This is something that needs to be improved. Oracle should follow all the other cloud providers who see a potential market in Indonesia. It would be better for Oracle to be equal to other cloud providers and have a data center in Indonesia so they can compete. Having a local data center means that they can avoid performance issues, the latency of the network, and all the things that are related to the network for internet-based solutions. Customers in Indonesia expect a local data center."

What is our primary use case?

I have been using as well as selling Oracle Database from version 8 till version 19C. We have on-premises and cloud deployments.

I am working on cloud-based solutions. We are introducing Oracle Cloud infrastructure to our internal sales teams to show that Oracle has an Oracle Cloud as well, and it is called Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

The pricing is very competitive. Oracle is still the number one database company. From the technical aspects, Oracle Database is the best solution for small, medium, and big industries. 

What needs improvement?

I'm in Indonesia. From what I know, Ali Cloud has already built a center in Indonesia, and Google also has a data center in Indonesia. I have heard that Amazon will also build a data center in Indonesia, and the same will be with Azure if they deal with the Indonesian government. I'm quite appreciative of what Amazon has done by deciding to have a local data center. I expect Oracle to do the same, but Oracle doesn't seem to have plans to build a data center in Indonesia. This is something that needs to be improved. 

Oracle should follow all the other cloud providers who see a potential market in Indonesia. It would be better for Oracle to be equal to other cloud providers and have a data center in Indonesia so they can compete. Having a local data center means that they can avoid performance issues, the latency of the network, and all the things that are related to the network for internet-based solutions. Customers in Indonesia expect a local data center.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Oracle Database for almost ten years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable and scalable. Stability and scalability are our prerequisites for all cloud solutions. A solution must be stable and scalable to be used. Oracle has already covered that part.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. Many customers of ours are using Oracle Database as their database infrastructure. Our customers are from all industries, such as communication, manufacturing, distribution, retail, etc. We plan to keep selling this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have our own technical support to help customers to implement or maintain Oracle solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The deployment and activation process is similar to other cloud providers. The cloud deployment takes around 45 hours because you need to activate the services after Oracle provisions the services. After a customer orders for the cloud, Oracle provisions the services. The service is ready maybe in a week. Oracle sends us an email to activate the services.

What about the implementation team?

We have consultants to deploy Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and Oracle solutions in our company. We have around 20 engineers who are Oracle Certified or Oracle Database Professionals. 

We provide services for implementation as well as for after-sales and maintenance if customers take our technical support. We have enough technical support to help customers to implement or maintain Oracle solutions.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Its price is already low. Oracle has a competitive and cheaper price as compared to others. Oracle Cloud is cheaper than other clouds. The pricing is very competitive for Oracle Cloud to be in the market. Their pricing makes customers interested in using this product even though Oracle doesn't have a local data center at this moment.

What other advice do I have?

It is the cloud era, so everyone is talking about cloud solutions. Oracle must improve its solution to be equal to other cloud providers. Oracle Cloud still has a data center out of Indonesia as compared to other competitors who already have a local data center in Indonesia. A provider with a local data center will be the best if you are using an internet-based product or a cloud-based solution. 

Customers will prefer a solution that has a local data center because it eliminates the problems related to the network and performance. If Oracle has a local data center, the only thing that a customer will have to consider is the pricing. Oracle already has cheaper pricing than others, but cheaper pricing is not enough for a cloud solution at this point. Customers also expect good performance when they are accessing the cloud.

I would rate Oracle Database a nine out of ten. I cannot give it a ten because there is no perfect product.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Senior DBA & IT Consultant at MA Consulting
Real User
Enables us to combine all the sophisticated architectures in the market
Pros and Cons
  • "Compared to other databases, Oracle Database is very simple to manage in terms of the database itself."

    What is our primary use case?

    We’re using Oracle Database at our customers and for any vast applications, for data warehouses, online transaction processing applications, with packaged applications like Siebel and SAP that work with Oracle. Oracle is the main enterprise database for the finance sector today, in general.

    How has it helped my organization?

    It fits any kind of model that we would like to incorporate in our organization, whether it's a data warehouse, implementing data models, CRMs, or online application processing. We can use clusters, we have very sophisticated, high-availability solutions. We have everything.

    We generally incorporate all the solutions in an enterprise so that we can help the enterprise to have a better, high-availability solution, faster databases. 

    And, compared to other databases, Oracle Database is very simple to manage in terms of the database itself.

    What is most valuable?

    Oracle is one of the most advanced systems when compared with other databases in the market. Oracle has the ability to combine all the sophisticated architectures that we have today in the market and bring them to the customer.

    One more nice thing that Oracle is bringing in is cloud on premises. This allows you to have a big Exadata machine in your enterprise and use it as a cloud, using all the available Oracle features, which is very nice. It gives you the ability to begin according to your needs and grow very fast when you need to do so.

    What needs improvement?

    Oracle is going now to what we call autonomous databases. Personally, I don’t believe in autonomous databases that will manage themselves. It might be that in the cloud versions they actually have the ability of doing that for you, managing the infrastructure, fixing all the patches that you need, and so on. Still, the tuning business has a long way to go to be completely autonomous. There is still a need for a person to manage the database, especially the performance and tuning. 

    It might be those future databases - not in the near future but in the distant future - will be autonomous completely. Oracle could be one of the first to incorporate that.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    More than five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Oracle has new versions, and with them it becomes more stable. Compared to other databases, especially when dealing with vast numbers of records, Oracle is one of the leading databases; it performs much better.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Scalability is one of the biggest features of Oracle Database. We can scale out or scale in using clusters, using the shard solutions that we have in the market today. Oracle brings a large number of methods for scaling.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Support is one of the most advanced. I work with other vendors besides Oracle. If I compare the support that we have with Oracle to other leading providers -  I don’t want to say the names - Oracle usually gives me answers quickly. With other vendors, I can wait for ages until I get answers, if I can get a solution at all. Oracle has a vast knowledge of problems and solutions.

    For 80 percent of problems, you can find already built-in solutions. But if such a solution doesn't exist, Oracle support is prompt. They come in and discuss the problems with you and try to figure out very fastest solutions.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We didn’t switch. Oracle has always been a leader in the field of relational databases. Today, in Israel especially, all the finest companies have their major databases in Oracle, in spite of the licensing, because it is one of the best databases in the market. The big companies can still afford the licenses.

    How was the initial setup?

    Setup has become easier and easier with Oracle. It used to be a bit complicated in the beginning, but with the new versions, while you still need a bit of knowledge, it’s quite doable to install it and manage it.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The main issue where I feel that Oracle still has a problem is with the licensing. Licensing is still expensive and the reason why today most startups use other, cheaper databases. Those other databases are much less sophisticated than Oracle. I hope that in the future, Oracle will reach a level where it can introduce its database with different compliances and different licenses so that companies will be able to use to it and it will be competitive with other databases in the market.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?


    What other advice do I have?

    When selecting a vendor, the most important thing is that they have people who know the business. We have some databases, for example, for which it is very rare to find a person who knows something about them. Knowledge is important. Support of the product is very, important as well. We need to know where to go, who to ask, who will actually help us out with the problems. Of course, bringing new innovations and being out front with what is happening in the advancing of the technology are also important.

    My advice, especially for big companies today, would be to go to the cloud on-premises when starting out, which allows you to incorporate all the latest versions from Oracle yet have the infrastructure managed by the Oracle Cloud support team. It gives you the ability to utilize the best of Oracle and to scale when you need to. 

    For smaller companies, the main reason they are not going with Oracle today is the pricing/licensing. I hope that, in the future, Oracle will do something about that so we'll once again see small companies beginning with Oracle, something that we don’t see today.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Oracle Database Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: May 2024
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    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Oracle Database Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.