patchVantage has announced plans to launch its new flagship product which automates backup, cloning, and patching for Oracle databases and applications.
A member of the UK Oracle Users Group and the Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG) in the U.S., as well as a partner in the Oracle PartnerNetwork, the company is based in Scotland and the Philippines, and was founded in 2012 by David McNish, a veteran of the communications and database industries.
The new product has been in development for more than 3 years and will be formally introduced at Oracle OpenWorld 2016.
Explaining the need for it, the company cites the results of an IOUG-Unisphere Research survey, sponsored by Oracle, that found that one-fifth of large organizations have more than 1,000 databases, each of which is growing. The survey results, which were included in a report titled “The Rapidly Accelerating Cloud – Enabled Enterprise,” revealed that security, compliance, and governance are organizations’ highest priorities. Yet, over half (51%) of respondents said that keeping databases current is a leading administrative challenge, while nearly three quarters (73%) want to automate.
“Thousands of organizations worldwide rely on Oracle databases and applications to deliver and support mission-critical business functions, but maintaining, upgrading, securing, and keeping compliant those systems is a complex and time-consuming task requiring highly specialized skills. patchVantage automates much of this, freeing up expensive DBA time and helping protect against cyber threats,” explained McNish.
According to McNish, the company's CTO, patchVantage makes applying complex Oracle security updates and functionality upgrades easier by bundling complete quarterly setups that simplify and enable immediate patching and upgrades. “This should appeal to any company in the business of managing customers' data and applications. Currently, each has to create a bespoke solution for important patches and upgrades,” he noted.
In addition, he said, it provides a complete environment for managing the time-consuming processes associated with maintaining patches, such as backups, cloning and application controls, by automating these functions, and also provides an audit trail and complete action history to support the compliance and reporting demands associated with software maintenance. Further addressing compliance needs, the product also helps with technically demanding cyber-security vulnerability assessments, helping organizations to complete them more quickly and accurately.
And, because many organizations support multiple environments (for example production, development, finance, and test), and these are often replicated to accommodate several languages, the company says its patches can be applied to multiple environments with a single command. When required, DBAs can configure patches for specific environments.
According to McNish, patchVantage is currently focused primarily on offering next-generation security and maintenance products in the Oracle Cloud market, although plans are in place to develop the same functionality for SQL Server on Linux. The product launch is a reflection of a larger industry shift toward a reliance on managed service organizations and cloud providers to offer help with updates and patches.
Formally launching at OpenWorld, patchVantage for Oracle will have limited availability for early adopters toward the end of 2016, and will be generally available around the end of Q1 2017, the company says. The product supports Oracle Database releases 11g and 12c, Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1 and 12.2, and Oracle Fusion Applications.
For more information, visit www.patchvantage.com.