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reviewer1027761 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head Of Information Technology at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Stable, with good technical support, but very expensive
Pros and Cons
  • "The scalability is quite good."
  • "They should be putting more emphasis on the Windows platform. Usually, they run very well on the Linux platform, however, their performance on Windows is a little bit lower quality."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the solution for our online transaction system - that is debit cards - and we are using it for our loan origination system as well. There are two systems that are deployed on it and we are getting a good experience from it. 

What is most valuable?

The Data Guard feature is the most valuable aspect of the solution. 

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. 

The solution is stable.

The scalability is quite good. 

I have always found the technical support to be very helpful.

What needs improvement?

The solution is expensive. They should work at making the pricing more reasonable. 

They should be putting more emphasis on the Windows platform. Usually, they run very well on the Linux platform, however, their performance on Windows is a little bit lower quality.

They have to work on their flashback feature. Right now, it is a cumbersome process.

It is actually very heavy on the storage. If Oracle could do something about it, that would be great. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for the last 23 years at this point. It's been over two decades. I've used it for a long time. 

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is quite good. there are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product is quite scalable. You can add as many servers as you would like to. It's not a problem.

The product is not deployed for the user base. It is deployed for the backend service. The amount of actual users is only one or two people. 

We do not have plans to increase usage. The cost is too much of a factor now. I'm not sure if I will be using it anymore. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support has been great. I am satisfied with the level of service we receive. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have Oracle Database and SQL Central Server Database in our environment. We're moving to SQL based on the generally high cost of Oracle. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward.

I'm very comfortable with Oracle as well, so for me, it was very, very convenient. I can't speak to the end-user or a user with the lower skillset in terms of their capabilities of setting it up. However, if you have some experience with Oracle, it's not bad.

The deployment only takes 45 minutes to an hour. It doesn't take long.

What about the implementation team?

I have installed it personally and it is very straightforward. However, it is possible to use an integrator or consultant to get the proper assistance. 

What was our ROI?

We don't really calculate the ROI on the database itself. We calculate the ROI for the system. On whichever system is deployed on a database, we calculate it on a community basis. Therefore, of course, we get the ROI from whatever technology we deploy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

While I'm a fan of Oracle as a solution, I am not a fan of the cost. It is very expensive. 

For medium to small organizations, the current cost might not be viable as compared to SQL Server, which is much cheaper than Oracle and provides approximately the same functionality that they have. 

You can choose a core-based license or a user-based license. There are no extra costs above the standard licensing fees. Typically it is a five-year contract that can be paid monthly or yearly. 

What other advice do I have?

We are a customer and an end-user.

I'd advise those considering the solution to always keep their logs on a different database. Also, they have to make sure the parameterization they do in their initial setup is very, very extensively thought out.

I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Muhammad Asif Ashraf - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Development Lead at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Easy to use with good performance and very good integrations
Pros and Cons
  • "The ease of use has been great."
  • "The product is pricey and expensive."

What is our primary use case?

Most of our applications are actually generating data on Oracle Database. They're connecting finance, HR, et cetera. Everything is on Oracle Database.

What is most valuable?

The stability has been very good. Its performance is excellent.

The ease of use has been great.

It's an excellent product. It's a pioneer.

The integration capabilities are very good.

What needs improvement?

The product is pricey and expensive. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using this product for well over a decade. We've used it for about 14 or 15 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the product is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The product can scale. If a company needs to expand, it can do so.

We have both internal and external users. The amount of users ranges into the thousands. 

How are customer service and support?

We do use support. We actually pay for support and we have used them to assist us during implementation. They have been very helpful.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have a Microsoft SQL Server as well, however, a different team is working on it. I don't deal with it directly.

How was the initial setup?

While I did not actually implement the solution, I don't see where there would be any problem with the solution. 

We have a technical team of 20 to 30 people who can handle deployment and maintenance. 

What about the implementation team?

We have paid support. When we did an upgrade recently, we got support from Oracle in case there were any issues. They also offer support during installation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is quite an expensive product. It's not cheap.

We pay a yearly licensing fee to Oracle. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. We've been very pleased with the solution over the years. 

If a company is considering implementing this solution, I would advise that they first look at their requirements. A company should look to see whether they actually need an Oracle Database or not as it's a costly solution. It may be possible that the unique company requirements may be able to be covered via a cheaper database. However, they won't know for sure until they properly do an evaluation.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Oracle Database
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Oracle Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior Software Engineer at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Performance tuning feature provides useful hints and indexing
Pros and Cons
  • "I love the performance tuning feature of Oracle Database because it provides hints and indexing, which are very valuable. Some of its other valuable features are its rack, record key vaults, and backup compression."
  • "Oracle is very expensive. So if I suggest Oracle to a client, they'll often say it's too costly."

What is our primary use case?

We use Oracle Database in cases where there is a high volume of transactions and to improve the performance for high availability. We're an IBR company, so we're working mostly with call centers.

What is most valuable?

I love the performance tuning feature of Oracle Database because it provides hints and indexing, which are very valuable. Some of its other valuable features are its rack, record key vaults, and backup compression. 

What needs improvement?

I'm familiar with various DevOps technologies and how GoogLeNet is working. With GoogLeNet, you can upgrade the application in real-time without downtime. This feature is currently not available in Oracle. If we can do everything in the database without downtime, that would be beneficial for the users.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Oracle Database for more than eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

If you get Oracle Database set up right the first time, it'll run many years without any errors. There are no problems with the database itself, but if it isn't configured correctly or you execute something incorrectly, that can cause a problem. If we use a database in the application and there is a problem, we can quickly fix it. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We can quickly and easily scale Oracle Database. 

How are customer service and support?

Oracle technical support is wonderful. We've had no problem with that.

How was the initial setup?

The Oracle Database setup is not complex. The rack setup used to require a lot of specialized knowledge about how to set it up, but it has been simplified. For deployment, we create and execute, which takes about three to four hours. 

What about the implementation team?

We were able to handle the deployment through an in-house team. And every two or three months, Oracle releases new security patches and bug fixes. So we check if it's relevant to our product and apply it. We have around six to seven database services, so we manage it when it is released. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Oracle is very expensive. So if I suggest Oracle to a client, they'll often say it's too costly.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Oracle Database 10 out of 10. I would recommend it. I've worked on many database solutions, like MySQL Server and Sybase, and Oracle is the best based on my experience. If you are considering implementing Oracle Database, I suggest thoroughly reading all the documentation first. Then, figure out a strategy for implementing it and all of the software you'll need. Before you start the setup, you should have full knowledge of the process.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer936300 - PeerSpot reviewer
Director Of Sales Marketing at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Powerful functionality, performs well and highly scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The thing two things that I like most about Oracle Database are its scalability and performance."
  • "Frankly speaking, Oracle Database is very expensive."

What is our primary use case?

Oracle Database's main function is to store data. 

What is most valuable?

The thing two things that I like most about Oracle Database are its scalability and performance.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Oracle Database for four years. I'm Oracle certified. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Oracle Database is highly scalable. We have about 1,500 end-users overall.

How are customer service and support?

In most cases, technical support is provided by Oracle.

How was the initial setup?

Installation is straightforward. Total deployment takes three or four days. In most cases, you need help from an Oracle engineer to deploy. In terms of scalability and duplication, Oracle Database can be tricky, so you'll need an Oracle engineer most of the time. At our company, most of the employees have the necessary experience to maintain and operate Oracle Database.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Frankly speaking, Oracle Database is very expensive. But it offers a lot of value for the money in terms of scalability, performance, and powerful functionality. We have a yearly subscription.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Oracle Database 10 out of 10. It's an excellent product. I would definitely recommend Oracle Database to others.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Group DWH and BI Senior Manager at Virgin Mobile Middle East and Africa
Real User
Constantly innovating with good performance and reliability
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability has been good so far. It's reliable."
  • "The pricing needs to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used as a relational database, or we can use it for certain kinds of AP integrations.

What is most valuable?

The performance is much better than the Microsoft SQL in some ways. The stability has been good so far. It's reliable. 

What needs improvement?

The pricing needs to be improved. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are only certain people who use the solution. Not many users have access to much of it. We only have real access to some of the databases. I would say there are only one to five of us who can access Oracle at the moment.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never spoken to technical support. Therefore, I cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they are. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I'm also familiar with Microsoft SQL. However, we do not currently use anything else as a relational database at this time. 

How was the initial setup?

While I can still query the database and then access it, I was never involved in deployment or installation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing could be better. It would be nice if they could offer a one-year subscription package or something similar. 

What other advice do I have?

I cannot speak to which version of the solution we're using at this time. 

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. I've been pretty happy with its capabilities overall. 

I would recommend the solution to others. If you look at the progress being made in Oracle, they are coming up with and bringing up some new features. It sounds good. They are more into the cloud now, too, and getting into new features and stuff like that there. They're improving constantly.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Senior Database Administrator at ITGStore
Real User
A stable and scalable solution which is easy to install and offers great support
Pros and Cons
  • "Optimization of databases, RAC, Data Guard Replication with Data Guard and RAC Database are the best features."
  • "There is a new version of Oracle and Database Firewall, version 20, for which I would be interested in receiving training."

What is our primary use case?

For the Database solution, I'm working with the 12c version. For Security Solution, I'm working with Oracle based Audit Vault and Database Firewall, versions 12 and 20.

We use the solution in Cameroon, where I reside, for payroll purposes. 

What is most valuable?

Optimization of databases, RAC, Data Guard Replication with Data Guard and RAC Database are the best features. The solution offers many features. We try to tailor the deployment to the needs of the company involved. Some need replication, others optimization and still others, RAC. 

What needs improvement?

There is a new version of Oracle and Database Firewall, version 20, for which I would be interested in receiving training. For the moment, training is not an option. Having the time to undertake this does not pose an issue for me, as I would speak with my supervisor to allot the requisite time. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Oracle Database for nearly four or five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The version of the solution being employed today is definitely scalable. 

How are customer service and technical support?

We work as a partner company with Oracle and have a representative in our region to whom we can appeal directly for collaboratively resolving any issues which may arise with our clients.

We are satisfied with the support. While we don't encounter issues on a daily basis, there has not been a single time that we have failed to resolve one when it has arisen. 

How was the initial setup?

The installation does not take long. They have provided a simplified edition on the hardware and database of the latest version of Oracle Database Appliance, a product I have recently installed. It is quite user friendly and makes things easier than has been the case in the last five years. With the improved installation, the solution is now easy to install.  

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing costs are on a yearly basis, although I am a technicican and am not involved in this process. This is in someone else's purview. 

What other advice do I have?

In NFC Cameroon the solution is deployed on-premises. When it comes to Oracle Database, certain companies are deployed on-cloud and others on-premises. We have yet to deploy on cloud. 

We have many clients, ranging from medium sized to very large. We have assisted more than ten clients in implementing the solution in our data center. 

I rate Oracle Database as an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Technical Team Lead at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Easy to use, stable, and offers great technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "Technical support is great."
  • "If you want to scale, it will get even more expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for data storage.

What is most valuable?

Oracle is one of the strongest solutions on the market.

The user experience and the tools provided with Oracle are great. For example, there's the SQL developer, and these tools are really easy and user-friendly. You get used to it very fast. 

The initial setup is straightforward. 

The solution scales well.

We have found the solution to be quite stable.

Technical support is great.

What needs improvement?

The solution has a high cost. Due to this, people are going for open-source instead. 

If you want to scale, it will get even more expensive.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for ten years or so. It's been a decade or so. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of the solution is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability potential depends on the package that a company gets. If you purchase Datadog, it will be easy to extend and have multiple nodes. The more features you purchase, however, the higher the price. Scaling comes at a cost.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support has been very helpful. They respond on time and you don't waste any time waiting for the tickets. You just get the answer directly usually in the same hour or on the same day at a maximum. We are extremely satisfied with them.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not overly complex or difficult. It's very straightforward.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost is very high. All the customers that I know are planning to move to an open-source database for this reason.

What other advice do I have?

I'm just a customer and an end-user.

We used to use 12C, however, we recently moved to 19C.

I would recommend the solution if the company has a budget and if you have a project that will provide revenue to cover the price for the actual product. If a company is going to start a product that will not give the right revenue at the beginning, I would suggest PostgreSQL.

I would rate the product at an eight out of ten. It loses a  few points mostly due to the high price tag.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1616118 - PeerSpot reviewer
PCI DSS Program Manager at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Stable, reasonably priced, and straightforward to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very stable."
  • "The quality of technical support could be better. They could respond faster."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is primarily used for the core banking system, for cloud disaster recovery, for business continuity planning, and lots of other business cases. We use it for the core banking system and card system for applications.

What is most valuable?

The Oracle BI, Business Intelligence, is its most valuable aspect. Oracle BI has been very helpful for me during my career. To have business analytics and to deal with big data with the multiple organizations I've worked for has been great.

The solution is very stable. 

We've found the solution to be scalable.

The initial setup isn't too complicated.

The pricing isn't too bad. 

What needs improvement?

Their cloud services should be improved and expanded. 

The quality of technical support could be better. They could respond faster.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for 12 to 15 years at this point. It's been well over a decade. I've used it for quite a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is there if you need it. It expands quite well.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is okay, however, sometimes it takes a while for them to respond It would be nice if they were faster. We aren't 100%v satisfied with the level of service we get from them.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I also use Microsoft.

How was the initial setup?

While it depends on the testing scenarios, depends on the application that we're going to serve, and depends on the hardware you're using, it's not hard. I wouldn't describe the process as complex. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We're fine with the licensing and costs. 

What other advice do I have?

We are simply customers and end-users. We don't have a business relationship with Oracle. 

I use various versions of the solution, however, every year, they release a new version and I end to install it. 

I use multiple deployment models, including on-premises and cloud. 

I'd give the solution a perfect ten out of ten rating. It really is a fantastic product. We've been very happy with its capabilities and reliability.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
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