Table of Contents
- Summary
- Key Criteria Comparison
- GigaOm Radar
- Vendor Insights
- Analyst’s Take
- Methodology
- About GigaOm
- Copyright
1. Summary
Graph databases focus on cataloging entities and the relationships between them, an approach and technology once considered niche. While the technology has been around for more than 20 years, it is only recently that our increasingly connected world has led to the widespread adoption of graph databases.
Master data management, identity and access management, network and IT operations, fraud detection, and recommendation engines are some of the use cases to which graph analytics have traditionally been applied. Today’s graph databases have reached a point where they not only enable such use cases, but can do so in real time and at real-world scale. This technology advance has been a game changer for data and knowledge management, analytics, operational excellence, and competitiveness in business.
And here’s the kicker: many graph databases now come with their own integrated development environments (IDEs) tailored to graphs, making it easier to create graph-based applications. Moreover, many graph databases also offer bulk data import, which is a must for any database, let alone one that often needs to import high volumes of complex, interconnected data in numerous formats.
In order to evaluate the multitude of graph database platforms and their varied characteristics, we look into strategic evaluation metrics aggregating various dimensions including developer friendliness, user accessibility, application development, operational agility, community and documentation, and vendor credentials.
Although graph database technology is not new, the maturation of hardware and software stacks as well as the evolution of the business landscape have combined to create a perfect environment for graph databases.
The utility and use cases of graph databases are growing fast, with significant new entries happening as well as evolution of existing players. It’s a complex and nuanced technology and market landscape, which this report will distill into a straightforward taxonomy and evaluations of the leading graph database platforms.
How to Read this Report
This GigaOm report is one of a series of documents that helps IT organizations assess competing solutions in the context of well-defined features and criteria. For a fuller understanding consider reviewing the following reports:
Key Criteria report: A detailed market sector analysis that assesses the impact that key product features and criteria have on top-line solution characteristics—such as scalability, performance, and TCO—that drive purchase decisions.
GigaOm Radar report: A forward-looking analysis that plots the relative value and progression of vendor solutions along multiple axes based on strategy and execution. The Radar report includes a breakdown of each vendor’s offering in the sector.
Solution Profile: An in-depth vendor analysis that builds on the framework developed in the Key Criteria and Radar reports to assess a company’s engagement within a technology sector. This analysis includes forward-looking guidance around both strategy and product.