Can big IT (enterprise IT - let's say 100K PCs and upwards) be convinced to deploy "non-standard" databases - not Oracle or MSSQL (or even mySql or PostgresSql) - but mongoDB and voltDB and neo4j? What hurdles are there to overcome and how one is to do that?<p>Would also love to hear success (or failure) stories and see blogs and articles - not from the DB vendors though, I take that as marketing material, not facts.
It gets down to a few factors:<p>1) Support - Can you get support from the dB supplier, can you get support contracts. Companys will go wikiwakeywoo dB if it has support contracts to back it.
2) Scalability - will it scale for the future.
3) Portability - can we change hardware or are we going to be locked in
4) Cost comparision to the prefered dB, is it competative factoring in all potentual issues/costs. Think banks that outsource and then mess up for a week, those kind of things.
5) Reliability, does it dance the 5 9's that managers understand and not alot else
6) Development cost compared to prefered dB<p>Best way is to fistly get all your database interactions done via a wrapper, then you are in a better position to change your backend database.<p>It's a uphill battle and you also have to ask, what is in it for you beyond a good geek-out. Will you gain from this fiscialy as well as the company and if not then you need to think about things like workbombing yourself and stictiching yourself up for a thanks if you suceed and a roasting upto dismissal if you fail.<p>Change is good, but make sure your being compensated for it or you are doing yourself no favours sadly in the coporate world :(.<p>But getting all dB interactions done via a wrapper would be a good start for many things and in itself very useful.<p>Good luck, you will need it sadly enough.
One key factor for business adoption of new technology is the availability of technologists with skills. If I can't find (many) developers and administrators who can install and maintain a noSQL server or developers who know what to do with it, I won't let it in my shop.<p>Anybody with a little experience in corporate IS/IT has probably encountered that app created by a developer who wanted to use the new shiny tech, did a half-ass job and then left the company. All the other devs hide when the app needs to be maintained or updated.<p>Managers also like to see formal training courses for new technologies to help less inquisitive and innovative developers get up to speed.<p>I think NoSQL databases are great new tools and I hope they make their way inside corporate firewalls. The broader supporting ecosystem will need to exist to support them though.