DBTA E-EDITION
August 2025
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Trends and Applications
We are at a crossroads when it comes to expanding the role and potential of AI in organizations. Everybody wants it, but many see difficult-to-climb hurdles embedded within their organizations. And holding back may be costly.
For the database world, the future looks extremely challenging—and, even more, exceedingly promising. Looking ahead over the next few years, organizations will be relying on their databases in ways never imagined, as leaders and decision makers look to their data resources for intelligence, real-time views, and adaptability to business changes.
Organizations consistently struggle to manage what are known as "long-tail" data connectors. These are connectors that are less used and not available on many legacy data integration platforms. As a result, often organizations have had to build their own custom pipelines and, worse yet, maintain and rebuild those as data sources changed over time as requirements evolved.
AI adoption is rapidly accelerating, but data quality and data governance remain two of the biggest challenges to successful implementation. While AI depends on vast amounts of data, the quality and accuracy of the information it processes directly determine its effectiveness. Strong data governance allows organizations to mitigate various threats, while poor data quality leads to inaccurate insights and inefficiencies.
Columns - Database Elaborations
Junk dimensions are often misunderstood and avoided. And they should not be. Junk dimensions offer a strategy to remain true to dimensional intentions and to better focus one's design and sometimes provide new insights into your data. The junk dimension is a collection of data items that may not relate to each other at all, although all relate to the fact at hand.
Columns - DBA Corner
The role of the Database Administrator (DBA) has always been dynamic, evolving alongside shifts in technology, data strategies, and business needs. But in 2025, the DBA's responsibilities are transforming at an unprecedented pace. No longer just the custodian of databases, today's DBA must be a data strategist, an automation expert, a cloud integrator, and even a business enabler.
Columns - SQL Server Drill Down
If you've worked in any data-centric role, you've probably experienced the effects of the proverbial "mandate from on high." Someone in the C-suite decides it's time to hop on the latest shift in the tech landscape—whether generative AI, hybrid cloud infrastructure, or remote work—and now it's time for the entire tech department to make it happen.
Columns - Emerging Technologies
This summer, I traveled to Bordeaux to explore French wine straight from the source. Coming from the tech world—with limited knowledge of the region (Left Bank? Right Bank? I barely knew the difference)—I was eager to understand what makes Bordeaux wines so revered worldwide. One concept I kept hearing about was "terroir," a uniquely French term that refers to the combination of soil, climate, terrain, and even local traditions that give each vineyard its distinct character. I was curious to see how this intricate relationship between nature and human touch shapes the wines and how, in today's high-tech age, tradition and innovation intersect in Bordeaux.
MV Community
Each year, DBTA presents the Readers' Choice Awards, which provide the opportunity to recognize companies whose products have been selected by the experts—our readers! The top three vote getters in the MultiValue category this year are: Rocket Software MultiValue Application Platform, InterSystems, and Revelation OpenInsight.