Enterprise data is increasingly being stored in the cloud, with a significant portion of growth in the database market now happening in cloud technologies. According to analysts at Gartner, the global market for databases grew by 12.8% last year to reach US$102 billion annually, with 61% of the market already being in the cloud and 91% of growth coming from cloud technologies.
Cloud adoption among enterprises is on the rise, with a 25-30% growth globally, compared to a slower 17-20% growth in on-premise technology spending. More organizations are adopting a “cloud-first” strategy, leading to database teams being compelled to move their operations to the cloud. However, cloud databases are no longer considered a second-rate option, as they now offer performance that matches or surpasses on-premise options, along with tighter integration with analysis and business intelligence tools.
Major database players such as Google Cloud and Microsoft are enhancing their cloud offerings by integrating AI capabilities, highlighting the advantages of cloud databases. Despite the challenges such as data sovereignty and compliance, organizations are exploring ways to hybridize their database infrastructure, leveraging both on-premise and cloud solutions.
In conclusion, the primary reasons for moving databases to the cloud are high-availability capabilities, improved resilience, scalability, and support for redundant operations across geographies. The cloud offers benefits such as reduced IT management overheads, access to new features and upgrades, and the ability to scale up or down quickly based on workload requirements. While there are barriers to adoption, such as data sovereignty and security concerns, organizations are finding ways to address these challenges and reap the benefits of cloud databases.