Technology is the heart and soul of your business, and all of that technology is sitting on the shoulders of your databases.

To put that bluntly, if your databases are down, then so is your company. That’s why finding the best support option for your database management strategy is critical to the success of your organization both now and in the future.

So, naturally, finding the right management solution for your databases should be a huge priority, but it can also be an overwhelming task. In our “Definitive Guide to Enterprise Database Management,” we outlined the many options companies have when it comes to the management of their databases.

In our last Solutions for Managing the Modern Database post, we reviewed the Internal Senior DBA. This time we’ll take a closer look at the pros and cons of another option:

The Freelance Database Consultant

Using a freelance consultant for the management of an organization’s databases is not uncommon. Typically, businesses that need expertise and support for strategic database projects — implementations, tuning and optimizing, and upgrades — and don’t desire ongoing support for their database environments after the completion of the project, rely on freelance consultants for help.

A freelance consultant can be an effective option for larger organizations that don’t have the expertise of a Senior DBA in their internal staff, or for organizations that currently have an Internal Senior DBA that needs assistance with strategic database projects. However, relying on the skill set of one individual can present challenges.

• Cost: Depending on the project, a freelance consultant can cost the same or more as an Internal Senior DBA.
• Comfort: A freelance consultant hired on a case-by-case or project-by-project basis won’t be as well versed in your system or best practices as other management options might be.
• Confidence: An expert cannot be an expert in all things, so if you choose a freelance consultant, make sure that they are well-qualified to manage the specific project that your business is enlisting their help for, so you can be confident in their success.

Finding a Database Management Solution That Works For Your Company

Freelance consultants can be pricey, and finding one with the specific expertise for your database solution can be time-consuming and challenging. That’s why many companies choose to partner with a managed service provider (MSP) for the management and optimization of their databases. A strong MSP partnership means having a full team of experts dedicated not only to ongoing management but true optimization for your databases.

If you’re debating the best support option for your database management strategy, check out our complimentary “Definitive Guide to Database Management.” It defines the morphing responsibilities of the modern DBA, the most common database management support options, and everything you need to start streamlining and optimizing your IT environments for success.