David Gummer

15 September 2025

Innovation or Fragility? Help shape the State of the Database Landscape

AI, cloud, and analytics promise progress – but also create new risks. The database world is changing fast, with security no longer just a technical issue, but a reputational risk. Cloud promised to simplify but often redistributed complexity. And AI is boosting productivity but may be widening skills gaps. In short: every leap forward comes with a hidden cost. That’s why Redgate’s State of the Database Landscape survey is back, and we want to hear from you.

Why this survey matters

Every year, we gather insights from thousands of data professionals around the world. The resulting report helps teams benchmark their practices, understand emerging trends, and make smarter decisions about how they manage, secure, and scale their data.
But this year, we’re digging deeper into the realities shaping today’s data estates and exploring:

• Where the real costs of innovation show up, from governance gaps to rising risk.
• How every step forward in AI, cloud, or analytics can also introduce new fragility.
• Why many estates have grown by default rather than by design, and what that means for teams.
• Is AI genuinely closing the skills gap or simply masking a bigger challenge.

Whether you’re a DBA, developer, architect, or decision-maker, your experience can help us uncover how these forces are really playing out.

What’s new in the State of the Database Landscape survey for 2026?

We’ve refined the survey to reflect the realities facing data teams today. The questions are sharper and more focused, shaped by feedback from last year’s participants. We’re also aiming for broader industry representation, to capture a more complete picture of the challenges and opportunities across the community. And most importantly, the survey findings will enable us to provide the community with timely insights into the risks and opportunities shaping the database landscape.

We’d love for you to take part, and to help us spread the word.

> Take part in our survey 

What happens next?

The survey closes on October 31, 2025, and the full report will be published early in the new year. In the meantime, we’ll be analyzing responses in real time and sharing early insights with the community.

Your voice matters. The State of the Database Landscape is being rewritten, not just by technology, but by the people navigating it.

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The State of the Database Landscape survey is live

Have your say in 2026

Your insights help us capture the real challenges facing data professionals today.

Take the survey