As always happens from time to time, we had the following request on AskTom today:

Could you list down 2 reasons why sql server is better than oracle?

Then 2 counter reasons as to why why oracle is better than sql server

And I thought I’d reproduce my response here

I’ll answer it slightly differently…

Q: When is SQL Server better then Oracle ?
A: When you have good, intelligent, knowledgeable SQL Server people on your workforce.

Q: When is Oracle better then SQL Server ?
A: When you have good, intelligent, knowledgeable Oracle people on your workforce.

I don’t really buy into all that “my Dad’s better than your Dad” stuff in the IT landscape.  Because the best product in the world will always fail if you have the wrong people building systems with it.  And conversely, good people will have the skill and confidence to say “Product X is not suited to task Y”, if that is indeed the case.

When I think back to the first Oracle system I worked on, I chuckle at how bad a job I did at it (something I know now, not then).  Conversely, I think of some recent projects and I’m incredibly proud of some of the stuff I’ve built.

Technology doesn’t drive success…quality people do.