Choosing the Best Database for Your Small-Mid Size Business

Businesses today are facing new IT needs every now and then. That being said, the difference between a flourishing firm or a stagnant one is very often a matter of being able to catch up with these new IT needs. It comes as no surprise that numerous small to middle-sized businesses are booming with the help of DBMS (Database Management Systems).

As an entrepreneur, you need to know what database system to opt for if you want to make your business successful and compete with the best. As widespread as database technology is, it is hard to choose the right DBMS provider from the vast array of vendors.

Although the final choice depends on many factors such as the latest industry trends, user’s knowledge, and budget, we all have one primary goal: promoting our business. But this has to be done within strict IT budget constraints for mid-sized and small businesses. MS SQL server is one robust yet highly flexible DBMS that many mid-tier and small firms can opt for.

Here are some factors one should consider when choosing DBMS for a business:

1.       User-friendliness: Both small and mid-tier firms usually do not have highly qualified IT experts running their IT departments, so they need to go with a system that is easy to use for someone with average computational skills. Using the SQL server is a lot easier than using other servers such as Oracle.

2.       Operating System Compatibility: Microsoft Windows is the standard operating system for computers all around the business world. Microsoft SQL is a good choice because Windows allows us to seamlessly add other hardware to scale up the database server.

3.       Price: Compared to its competitors, MS SQL provides a great range of features at a relatively lower price. A DBMS like Oracle is much heavier on the pocket than the SQL server, and if you know your mid-sized business would not be dealing in TB’s of data, MS SQL is the best choice with regards to pocket friendliness.

4.       Availability of Qualified Hands: When your business grows, you might need to hire a database administrator (DBA) or developer. If you’re already working with MS SQL, finding skilled professionals to handle the database is hardly a task. Microsoft has developed an excellent training system that keeps adding talented professionals into the field, keeping the cost of hiring one low. On the other hand, hiring an Oracle expert can cost you a fortune and is much more difficult to accomplish.

Although MS SQL beats its competitors in all departments, it is not perfect. SQL corruption can make you lose all your data if you are not prepared for it. Corruption can occur at any time, so having an SQL recovery tool can be a life-saver. The recovery tool makes you immune to any corruption problems, as well as comes in handy when you need to recover lost data from USB drives or other storage devices.