I saw an interesting study comparing the total cost of ownership of SQL Server 2008 to Oracle 11g.  The study was published by The Edison Group.  I have no relationship with them, but I thought it was worth pointing to their study which breaks down the time it takes for someone to install and manage a database. Highlights from the Executive Summary include:

The study results show that, while both the vendor products have features to help average database administrators (DBA) perform everyday administrative tasks, Oracle Database 11g holds a substantial advantage over Microsoft SQL Server 2008. Our detailed analysis reveals that:

• • DBAs can perform typical administrative functions in 41 percent less time when using Oracle Database 11g compared to Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

 

• • Oracle Database 11g requires 43 percent fewer steps for the same set of standard RDBMS tasks than Microsoft SQL Server 2008 using Edison’s metric for complexity assessment.

 

• • Benefiting from increased DBA productivity due to lower complexity and higher efficiency cited above, businesses could save up to $33,520.47 per year per DBA by using Oracle Database 11g rather than Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

 

 

Fortunately, The Edison Group has made the whole 85-page study available to the public.  If you are looking at Oracle vs. SQL Server, it’s definitely worth looking into.