Magic Quadrant for Cloud Database Management Systems
Gartner defines the market for cloud database management systems (DBMSs) as the market for software products that store and manipulate data and that are primarily delivered as software as a service (SaaS) in the cloud. Cloud DBMSs may optionally be capable of running on-premises, or in hybrid, multicloud or intercloud configurations. They can be used for transactional work and/or analytical work. They may have features that enable them to participate in a wider data ecosystem.
Vendors must, among other requirements:
A: This Magic Quadrant evaluates vendors that supply fully managed cloud DBMS services (dbPaaS offerings) for operational and/or analytical use cases. It covers vendors offering database management systems that are primarily delivered as software as a service (SaaS) in the cloud, which may optionally be capable of running on-premises or in hybrid, multicloud or intercloud configurations. The research evaluates 20 vendors across multiple criteria including product capabilities, market presence, innovation, and vision for the cloud DBMS market.
A: This research is designed for data and analytics leaders, heads of data management, CIOs, CTOs, CDAOs, infrastructure managers, database and application architects, database administrators, IT purchasing managers, and increasingly, business leaders who are involved in defining, purchasing, building or managing a cloud DBMS as part of a wider cloud data management environment. The Magic Quadrant should be used in combination with the two related Critical Capabilities documents (for Operational Use Cases and Analytical Use Cases) and not in isolation as a tool for selecting vendors and products.
A: Vendors must offer their DBMS as Software as a Service (SaaS) on provider-managed public or private cloud systems, and manage data within cloud storage rather than in customer-managed IaaS environments like virtual machines or containers.
A: Vendors may be excluded if they: only offer streaming services for immediate event processing; provide prerelational, object-oriented, or data grid products; offer DBMS only embedded within BI tools; provide only analytics query accelerators; offer only data virtualization/fabric/federation without data persistence; or only provide DBMS hosted in customer-managed IaaS. Additionally, vendors not ranking in the top 20 of Gartner's Customer Interest Index are excluded due to methodology limitations restricting the Magic Quadrant to 20 vendors.
A: Ability to Execute focuses on current operational capabilities including product quality, sales effectiveness, market responsiveness, customer support, and overall viability. It measures how well vendors deliver and support their existing offerings today. Completeness of Vision assesses strategic direction and future potential, including market understanding, innovation, product roadmap, business model, and strategies for sales, marketing, verticals, and geographic expansion. Vision evaluates where vendors are headed and their ability to anticipate and shape future market needs.