Embedded Database Market - For Centura Software

The term “embedded database” has traditionally been applied to applications developed by VARs and others, which have a database within them, but which is unseen by the user. Such databases are sometimes described as “fire and forget” databases since they are intended to require no database administration. The other distinguishing fact about such implementations is that no further applications can be deployed against that database by the user. He literally has no access to the database.

The leaders in this market are Progress, Oracle, Informix (mainly through the UniVerse and Unidata databases it acquired when it bought Ardent) and InterSystems. However, this report is aimed at a sub-sector of the embedded database market, namely that for small footprint devices. It does not, therefore, cover any of these vendors in detail (though some discussion of Oracle’s position is included). Nevertheless it should be borne in mind that small footprints get bigger and vendors spotting an opportunity can produce cut-down versions of their products. It would not, therefore, be a surprise to see one or more of these vendors entering the market in the months and years to come.

The most obvious thing that characterises the market for small footprint embedded databases is its state of flux. However, this is not a comment on the software involved, but rather on the devices on which they might potentially be installed. There are so many different products involved, and so many different technologies (many of which are evolving or nascent rather than actually with us), that any forecasts about likely developments should be considered with extreme caution. While we believe that our view of the future is sound, there will surely be other analysts who would disagree with some of the comments herein, and this should be borne in mind while reading the report.

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