PostgreSQL’s Trajectory: From Legacy Shift to Core Infrastructure
In a conversation marking CYBERTEC’s 25th anniversary, CEO Hans-Jürgen Schönig shared his outlook on the company’s evolution and the broader role PostgreSQL will play in the database landscape. His predictions are grounded not in hype, but in the steady migration away from legacy systems and the practical advantages that keep engineers coming back.
The Case for PostgreSQL’s Dominance
Schönig expects PostgreSQL to continue its growth, positioning it as foundational technology in the same vein as Linux, Android, or NGINX. The reasoning is straightforward: legacy databases are aging out, the technology itself is solid, and the community remains both sane and welcoming. PostgreSQL solves a concrete problem, which is far more compelling than any marketing campaign.
His prognosis is specific: PostgreSQL will become the dominant general-purpose database worldwide for at least the next two decades. It will hold the same relationship to databases that NGINX holds to web servers — the default, reliable choice.
Growth Without Strategic Whiplash
When asked about CYBERTEC’s future over the next quarter-century, Schönig’s answer was simple: larger, more international, and built on the same core technology but with a richer ecosystem around it. He hopes for more locations without the bureaucratic bloat that often accompanies expansion, and ideally, the same physical headquarters and internal culture.
On personal ambitions, he deflects any notion of chasing specific achievements. The goal is not to hit arbitrary milestones or expand customer counts, but to keep doing the right thing in an honest and proper way. In his view, achievement is an ego-driven concept; the real objective is usefulness and professional integrity. If those priorities stay intact, he believes, the measurable successes will follow naturally.
This philosophy extends to how he sees companies failing. Rarely is it the market shifting underneath them — though that happens, as with horse carriages and steam engines. More often, organizations collapse from within: arrogance, constant strategic pivots, greed, short-term thinking, and process bloat. A new leader arrives with a fresh vision, changes everything, and the company falters. His prescription is to keep doing what works, keep listening to customers, and maintain trust. In the database business, trust is the product; in street food, it’s opportunity.
What’s Next for CYBERTEC Customers
Schönig assures that the R&D pipeline is full to capacity. The company has been adding core technology consistently, positioning itself to react quickly to customers and partners alike. Expect releases that are useful, internationally focused, and built for direct cooperation.
He remains hands-on, still doing database consulting every week, which he says keeps him closely attuned to what customers genuinely need — and that is exactly what the company aims to deliver. The near future, he promises, will bring plenty of that to the surface.
