The Future is Polyglot Persistence by Martin Fowler and Pramod Sadalage. (PDF file)
The crux is slide 7 where the authors observe in part:
Polyglot Persistence using multiple data storage technologies, chosen based on the way data is being used by individual applications. Why store binary images in relational database, when there are better storage systems.
Bringing Alex Popescu to observe:
There are over 2 years since I’ve begun evangelizing polyglot persistence. By now, most thought leaders agree it is the future. Next on my agenda is having the top relational vendors sign off too. Actually, I’m almost there: Oracle is promoting an Oracle NoSQL Database and Microsoft is offering both relational and non-relational solutions with Azure. They just need to say it. (The future is polyglot persistence)
I am very puzzled.
I am not sure how Alex could be “evangelizing polyglot persistence” or Martin and Pramod could be announcing its “discovery.”
Just in case you haven’t noticed, while SQL database are very popular, there are video storage/delivery systems, custom databases for scientific data, SGML/XML databases (for at least the last 20 some odd years) and others.
In other words, polyglot persistence has been a fact of the IT world from the beginning of persisted data.
Ask yourself: Who gains from confusing IT decision makers with fictional discoveries?