The technology industry has changed considerably over the years with companies taking even greater advantage of cloud platforms now more than ever. The cloud has revolutionized the way we do business. We always talk about the top three cloud providers: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and Microsoft Azure. But then there are major players from previous eras who are still around: International Business Machines (IBM) and Oracle Corporation. Though, IBM and Oracle are relatively new in the cloud space, they have a significant stronghold in the information technology industry. On one side we have one of the largest vendors in the enterprise IT market, Oracle Corporation. And then there’s IBM, a leading computer manufacturer and technology company, and a strong contender in the cloud space. We present an unbiased comparison between the two technology giants on some common grounds to see who stands out and who deserves a prominent place in the IT arena.

What is IBM?

International Business Machines, or IBM, is a leading computer technology and consulting organization based out of Armonk, New York. IBM specializes in computer peripherals, hardware and software, business computers, hosting and consulting solutions, and more. The company started in 1911 as the Computing Tabulating Recording Company (CTR) because of the merger of three prosperous companies that gave rise to the company we know today as the IBM. The company officially got its name IBM in 1924. During the late 1940s to 1964, IBM entered the computer business, growing up with the new computer industry. IBM revolutionized the computer industry with the introduction of one of the world’s most successful transformative products – the IBM 360 family of computers. From its origin as the CTR, IBM has become a dominant player in one of the most prominent industries of the twentieth century.

What is Oracle?

Oracle Corporation is one of the world’s largest vendors in the enterprise IT market and a leading provider of computer hardware products and services. The company develops, manufactures, markets and distributes database and middleware software, applications software, and hardware systems. The Oracle’s products are built on industry standards and engineered to work together or independently within existing customer information technology, including private and public cloud computing environments. Oracle is the creation of Larry Ellison and he co-founded the company along with with Bob Miner and Ed Oates in 1977 under a company named Software Development Laboratories. Over the past three decades, Oracle Corporation grew from being one of the many vendors of database products to being widely recognized as the database market leader. Since the inception of Oracle, the Oracle Database Server has been and remains Oracle’s flagship product.

Difference between IBM and Oracle

Profile

– International Business Machines, or IBM, is a leading computer technology and consulting organization based out of Armonk, New York. IBM specializes in computer peripherals, hardware and software, business computers, hosting and consulting solutions, and more. Oracle Corporation is one of the world’s largest vendors in the enterprise IT market and a leading provider of computer hardware products and services. The company develops, manufactures, markets and distributes database and middleware software, applications software, and hardware systems.

Origin

– Oracle Corporation was founded in 1977 as a company named Software Development Laboratories (SDL), by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates. Inspired by the theory by Dr. Ted Codd and the work done on an IBM project called System R, the founders developed the relational idea into a commercial product and in 1979, the company was renamed RSI. In 1982, RSI was officially renamed Oracle Corporation. IBM started in 1911 as the Computing Tabulating Recording Company (CTR) because of the merger of three prosperous companies that finally gave rise to the company we know today as the IBM. The company was officially renamed to IBM in 1924.

Portfolio

– IBM works in a diverse range of fields providing hardware and software, cloud-based services, cognitive computing, hosting and consulting services in areas ranging from mainframe computers to nanotechnology. IBM also invests in semiconductor research, IoT, data and analytics, commerce, mobile and security, and everything in between.

Oracle is organized into three businesses – software, hardware systems, and services – which are further divided into several operating segments. The software business includes new software licenses and software license updates and product support. The hardware systems comprise of hardware system products and support. The services business is comprised of consulting, cloud services, and education. Oracle also offers business intelligence tools and business applications.

Cloud Computing

– IBM offers a cloud computing platform, IBM SmartCloud that consists of servers, storage and virtualization components for building private and hybrid cloud computing environments. Oracle Cloud delivers a huge selection of enterprise-grade cloud computing solutions, including PaaS, IaaS, and SaaS. The Oracle Cloud is based on Java, SQL standards and software systems such as Exadata, Exalogic, WebLogic, and Oracle Database. The Oracle Cloud is based on cutting-edge technologies making it faster and efficient than its competitors, including IBM Cloud.

IBM vs. Oracle: Comparison Chart

Summary of IBM vs. Oracle

IBM is a leading computer manufacturer and technology company, and a strong contender in the cloud space, whereas Oracle Corporation is one of the world’s largest vendors in the enterprise IT market and a leading provider of computer hardware products and services. Oracle Database, or RDBMS, is the world’s most popular database designed for the cloud and is the top pick for large enterprises. Though, IBM’s DB2 is a cheaper alternative to RDBMS, it’s not as good as the Oracle Database in many aspects. That being said, IBM and Oracle are among the top contenders in the cloud computing arena, but are still behind the top players like Amazon, Azure, and Google.

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