The 2024 industry report from Redgate includes data from every sector and every company size, from developers, DBAs and software delivery professionals to IT leaders, CTOs and CEOs across the world.
The new database landscape has become increasingly complex as modern-day business demands and data needs evolve. From managing multiple databases to migrating to the cloud, introducing continuous delivery with DevOps, and even incorporating Generative AI. The pace of change is faster than ever, causing a recurring challenge to emerge: the rapid need for skill diversification.
Our key findings reveal how these demands affect data professionals and organizations everywhere and highlight the changes coming up that you need to know about.
As data needs change so does the infrastructure, with the majority of businesses needing different database platforms to fulfil requirements. Our data from 2020 has shown a steady increase in businesses using two or more database platforms (from 62% to 79% in 2024) with the top four being SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL and Postgres.
“Managing multi platform data estates requires far more from people tasked with running them. They require a more versatile skillset… when operating on more than one database platform.”Tushita Gupta
Head of Product Design, Redgate
Dynamic changes are occurring in the technology infrastructure landscape, driven by shifts in business requirements that impact the data center, remote work, edge environments, and connectivity.
Predictions 2024: Technology Infrastructure Addresses A Tumultuous Environment
Out of the respondents who use more than one database platform, the number one challenge cited was skillset requirements. The effects of which spread across all areas of data management. Handling multiple databases requires a versatile skill set that spans various technologies, architectures, and operational practices.
“When Postgres became my primary database platform a few years ago, one of the big challenges for me was understanding how to apply the database DevOps best practices that I had been using for years with SQL Server, and bring them into the Postgres space.”Ryan Booz
Advocate, Redgate
When asked what impact multiple database types have had on processes, increased complexity was top of the list, with skill diversification becoming necessary coming second. The difference between database platforms is vast, from programming languages and data models through to architecture and features, there is no one size fits all. While the increasing quantity of data, and kind of data, every organization is now faced with brings advantages, it also makes database estates more complicated and demands more knowledge from those tasked with managing the multiple database types now in use.
“I’ve rarely met a data professional whose organization wasn’t experiencing data growth and making more demands of their data. It’s not just the growth in data being stored that’s an issue, it’s also where it’s being stored. Behind the scenes, the number of different databases and platforms being used across every business sector has been steadily increasing.”Max Drobot
Product Manager, Redgate
While adopting modern database technologies is essential with growing data demands, the implementation of crucial best practices and processes such as DevOps has become harder. In fact, a significant obstacle cited by 42% of respondents is the lack of appropriate skills. It was the biggest blocker to implementation. As organizations strive to bridge the gap, the need for cross-functional collaboration among developers, database administrators, and operations is only increasing.
“Developers are expected to become gurus of everything from Kubernetes and infrastructure as code to running services on their own. Which is why cognitive (over)load is one of the biggest reasons behind failed DevOps adoption.”Luca Galante
Source: Stack Overflow blog
99%+More than 99% of IT leaders say they face problems driving the best outcomes from their digital capability, with the complexity of integration (22%), a perceived inability to extract end-to-end benefits (20%) and siloed working (20%) topping the list of obstacles.
In fact, implementing any database change has become increasingly challenging, as revealed by our survey where 31% of respondents reported difficulties stemming from varying internal approaches to application and database development. This complexity is exacerbated by the diverse nature of database platforms. Organizations need to adopt a flexible approach that acknowledges the unique characteristics of each database while aiming for consistency in overarching practices where possible.
“It’s the single greatest challenge to implementing Database DevOps. Because databases, by their nature, must be persisted, the mechanisms for deployment are necessarily more complex and difficult to implement.”Grant Fritchey
Advocate, Redgate
70.5%experience knowledge silo issues at work
Overall, cloud adoption is increasing with over 88% of respondents using the cloud in some capacity. The benefits of which are widely recognized such as Accessibility and Scalability. However, it appears less effective cloud migration strategies such as ‘lift and shift’ are still being undertaken as some respondents are planning to reduce their usage, with cost cited as the number one reason. Properly sizing and optimizing resources are essential for achieving cost efficiency.
“It’s really important to be able to identify opportunities to move databases to the cloud, or optimization techniques, or to even understand the business well enough to increase database capacity only when needed.”Chris Yates
Republic Bank
Source: Redgate blog
88%are using the cloud
The adoption of emerging technologies like Generative AI remains limited, with 20% of respondents indicating its implementation in their database management practices. The low uptake is attributed to various factors, with a lack of training being one of the main concerns. Strategy and management consulting firm McKinsey forecast that the demand for skills in this area will "gather pace" over the next 6 years.
“Automation and AI will accelerate the shift in skills that the workforce need. While the demand for technological skills has been growing since 2002, it will gather pace by 2030 when the time spent using advanced technological skills will increase by 50 percent in the United States and by 41 percent in Europe."
- McKinsey Global Institute, Skill shift: Automation and the future of the workforce
“The user of AI needs strong domain knowledge to understand if the results from the AI system are useful and correct. Without that, AI code can often be like what a first-year, junior developer produces.”Steve Jones
Advocate, Redgate
New report
The 2025 State of the Database Landscape Report sheds light on the current state of database management and offers valuable insights into how organizations can navigate and simplify the growing complexities.