INDUSTRY

Survey findings from Evans Data Corporation new Database Development Survey Summer 2004 show that grid computing has risen by more than 75% in the past six months. Thirty seven percent of database developers are implementing or planning to implement a grid computing architecture. "While we're still in the infancy of grid computing, the technology looks very promising for database sites struggling with capacity issues," said Joe McKendrick, Evans' database analyst. "We just can't keep throwing more hardware at the problem. Data warehouses, for example, will only keep getting bigger. Companies can't afford to keep upgrading their systems and hardware to support these massive repository and associated tools. Grid computing offers an intelligent way for companies to better redeploy IT systems existing within their enterprises." In related data, 34% of companies are focusing their database development work on Business Intelligence platforms, including OLAP, data mining, and real-time analytics, an increase of nearly 30% in the past year. One out of three database developers planning to use grid technology indicated that Business Intelligence software is the expected target for the new computing architecture. The study also found that the recent increase in IT budgets means more database developers and managers are concentrating on Business Intelligence software. Other findings from the Summer 2004 survey of more than 500 Database developers and mangers: -- Ninety three percent of organizations are now providing real-time access to analytic data, an increase of 10% from six months ago. -- Forty-four percent of database developers are currently migrating or will migrate to a 64-bit database within the next year, an increase of more than 60% in six months time. -- Mobile database development project starts have bounced back to 32%, up 60% from the low during the IT slowdown. Evans Data Corporation (www.evansdata.com) provides regularly updated IT industry market intelligence based on in-depth surveys of the global developer population. Evans' syndicated research includes surveys focused on developers in a wide variety of subjects.