By Nicole Oveisi
As PostgreSQL becomes one of the most popular and widely used database management systems, large companies have been looking for people who know how to work with the system. The widely adaptable platform is free and 100% open source. More and more companies are looking to implement PostgreSQL because of the system’s ability to manage such large databases. Big names such as Apple, Spotify, Instagram, Reddit and more have applied PostgreSQL into their companies’ databases because of the giant amount of data that can be stored with minimal delays and simple architectural designs.
Crunchy Data is the leading enterprise open source PostgreSQL company. Founded in 2012, Crunchy Data aims to provide a wealth of products and services specifically tailored to each client’s needs while solving small and large scale challenges through secure, open source technologies. With many of the PostgreSQL contributors working at Crunchy Data, the company offers unmatched expertise as a database technology supplier. Beyond traditional support, Crunchy Data’s team also provides guidance on upgrades, scalability, and more.
AGS was fortunate enough to sit down (virtually) with Paul Ramsey, Crunchy Data’s Principal Geospatial Engineer, to discuss the company’s mission. Paul, along with his staff, focuses entirely on building the software and expounding on the spatial aspects of it. When asked what his favorite part about working at Crunchy Data was, Paul told us he enjoys using open source software, installing the PostGIS extension to PostgreSQL, and adding new features in spatial data. He also gave us some insight into the company’s future, explaining the rising growth rate of the company and it’s growing capacity to support big government and enterprise. So who uses Crunchy Data? Paul explained that the company caters towards people who are building systems that have a spatial component–not so much people who are using GIS, but people who are building the systems.
While Crunchy Data has an expansive global customer base, the PostgreSQL supplier employs just under 100 people. Only 20 percent of the company is located at their headquarters in South Carolina while the majority of employees work remotely across North America. Crunchy Data also has offices in Reston, NY, San Francisco, and Vancouver, however remote work seems to be integral to the company’s work ethic and was not a result of the current coronavirus pandemic.
Crunchy Data epitomizes the commercial ecosystem of companies that can provide the technical support needed to get into production and dispels the myth that open source software is done at random. Learn more about Crunchy Data and all the products and services they provide by going to their website.