Oracle bolsters big data strategy with NoSQL Database release

Oracle has posted download links for the Enterprise Edition of the NoSQL Database big data platform. An open source community edition is awaiting final licence approval.

NoSQL Database was unveiled earlier this month at the OpenWorld conference, and is designed to manage large archives of unstructured data. Oracle includes NoSQL Database as a component of its Big Data Appliance system.

"Oracle NoSQL Database is a key component of Oracle's big data strategy," said Oracle server technologies senior vice president Andrew Mendelsohn.

"As customers look to manage the huge explosion in data from new and evolving sources, such as web, sensors, social networks and mobile applications, Oracle is helping them unlock the value of this data by providing a highly available, reliable and scalable NoSQL database environment."

The release comes as a growing number of vendors look to offer big data platforms. IBM has filled out its own big data lines with the InfoSphere BigInsights platform for SmartCloud Enterprise.

Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT, explained that Oracle and IBM have taken very different paths in their big data approaches. IBM and other vendors have based platforms on x86 hardware, but Oracle relies solely on its Sparc hardware.

King also noted a stark contrast in Oracle's focus on benchmark figures and IBM's decision to market its platform on customer testimonials and case studies.

"At OpenWorld we saw Oracle being very focused on technical performance issues, while IBM is talking about the business side of business technology," he said.

"It is a very interesting strategy, because at the end of the day companies buy these things to solve specific problems."