In discussing Spanner, Olofson noted that while it may not currently have the capability to rival specialty graph databases like Neo4j, OrientDB, TigerGraph, and Aerospike Graph in terms of performance for pure graph deployments, it still plays a significant role in the database landscape.
Multi-model databases vs specialty databases
Google’s decision to incorporate graph processing features into Spanner reflects the larger trend among DBMS firms to offer comprehensive database solutions that cater to enterprises looking to streamline their database operations. This includes providing multi-model capabilities and functionalities that were traditionally only found in specialty databases, according to Olofson.
For example, major cloud database providers like Oracle, AWS, Microsoft, Google, and MongoDB are now integrating vector capabilities into their offerings. Previously, these capabilities were limited to specialty databases such as Pinecone, Weaviate, and Milvus.
