Sybase IS professionals provide insights into on-the-job challenges and technology management concerns.

Washington D.C. (Sybase TechWave 2010 Conference)– Aug. 9, 2010 – A new survey conducted by Embarcadero Technologies and the International Sybase User Group (ISUG) provides insights into the greatest challenges facing Sybase data management professionals. The survey findings, released today at the Sybase TechWave Conference, also reveal the activities on which database professionals wish they could dedicate more time.

When asked to identify the top three database-related issues that keep them up at night, 46% of those surveyed said production database performance, followed by 34% who said performance degradation and 30% pointed to database server hardware performance. Other issues that rated high on the list include not enough time in the day to accomplish work tasks, tight delivery schedules and database downtime. 

And it appears that database downtime is keeping Sybase database professionals in rapid response mode. More than 21% of respondents reported dealing with a database emergency twice in the past year, while the same percentage was lucky to not have a database emergency arise. However, it was a common occurrence for 20% who said they dealt with five to 10 emergencies.

With approximately 66% of respondents working in small teams of 10 or fewer members, there is seemingly an importance placed on tools that offer automation and management capabilities. For those who feel as if there are not enough hours in the day, the activity that most wish they had the time to do is tuning, followed by fixing poor performing SQL code, and then database monitoring. Many would also learn new skills and technologies, if time allowed.

“It can be a vicious cycle for Sybase database professionals who have greater demands placed upon them, while the size of their teams shrinks,” said Scott Walz, senior director of product management for Embarcadero. “Our survey results revealed that most database professionals are feeling pinched for time and regularly experiencing scope creep – two pain points that has them seeking out tools and technologies that will allow them to accomplish more with less.”

When questioned about how many different database platforms they manage or work with, 60% said two or three, while 19% said four or more. When this reality is matched with the fact that 70% work with more than one version of the same database, it is clear that the database management layer and toolset have never been as crucial or important to the business as they are today.

About Embarcadero Technologies
Embarcadero Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of award-winning tools for application developers and database professionals so they can design systems right, build them faster and run them better, regardless of their platform or programming language. Ninety of the Fortune 100 and an active community of more than three million users worldwide rely on Embarcadero products to increase productivity, reduce costs, simplify change management and compliance and accelerate innovation. Founded in 1993, Embarcadero is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices located around the world. Embarcadero is online at www.embarcadero.com.

About ISUG
Founded more than 20 years ago, the International Sybase User Group is an independent association that represents thousands of users of Sybase products in more than 60 countries around the world. Members network together through local, regional and virtual meetings to share ideas, solutions and insights into Sybase technologies, all of which results in increased learning, and thus increased earning potential. Membership in ISUG is obtained by simply joining one of ISUG's regional, local or virtual user groups. For more information on ISUG, or to become a member, please visit www.isug.com.