Industry standard for databases
October 17, 2019

Industry standard for databases

Nicolas Poague | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server primarily serves as the back end of our core business system, which is built on Microsoft Dynamics NAV on the front end. Essentially everything our business does goes through this system, making access to the data crucial. While SQL Server is a required component of NAV, the system still needs to perform and be reliable all of the time. Luckily SQL Server is widely supported and time tested, allowing us to choose it with confidence.

Pros

  • Support: Microsoft support and documentation make usage and maintenance worry-free.
  • Performance: developers and admins have the ability to tune performance to meet their application needs.
  • Prevalence: being an industry standard, compatibility and support are widespread.

Cons

  • Learning curve: while SQL databases share many of the same concepts, admins and developers need to be familiar with the interface and quirks specific to SQL Server and the Management Studio.
  • Cost: as with most enterprise software, especially from Microsoft, the investment needs to be considered.
  • Required resources: both system resources and other considerations for maintenance and in-house support may be heavy compared to other solutions.
  • Compatibility and integrations with many other business applications
  • Little need for outside support as in-house developers are well versed in SQL Server
  • Time spent on performance tuning and troubleshooting has cost more time than expected for interns support staff
Microsoft support seems to have really gotten better in recent years. Furthermore, documentation directly from Microsoft had greatly improved, and the prevalence of online support communities continues to grow. I can’t comment on the level of support we have personally received, as our in house team is capable of resolving the majority of our issues.

Do you think Microsoft SQL Server delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with Microsoft SQL Server's feature set?

Yes

Did Microsoft SQL Server live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Microsoft SQL Server go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Microsoft SQL Server again?

Yes

The adoption of SQL Server really comes down to your specific application requirements. You may be left without a choice, in which case you may need to evaluate the bigger picture. If you already run a Microsoft shop, the adoption should be a pretty straightforward one. If not, you may be looking to more costs and requirements than necessary.

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