Relational and Object-Oriented Database Management SystemsA database is a "shared collection of logically related data designed to meet the information needs of multiple users in an organization" (Hoffer 709) . Databases contain data records or files, such as sales transactions, product catalogs and inventories, and customer profiles. Databases allow multiple users in an organization to easily access, manage, store, and update data when needed. A database management system is software designed to assist in the maintenance and use of large data collections and the need for such systems and their use. The first general purpose database management system (DBMS) was designed by Charles Bachman who worked for General Electric in 1960. The original system was actually called Integrated Data Store and was used to form the basis for the network data model . Later, IBM developed its own version of DBMS and called it Information Management System (IMS) DBMS. IMS eventually formed the framework for an alternative data representation framework called the hierarchical data model. This new system allowed multiple people to access the same data across a computer network. While there can be countless benefits to using a DBMS to manage data, there are six worth noting. First, the data is independent. Secondly, there is efficient access to data. A DBMS uses a variety of techniques to store and retrieve data. This allows you to sort data in additional places such as external storage devices. Third, the DBMS can ensure data integrity and security by imposing access controls that govern what data is visible to different users. A fourth advantage of using a DBMS is centralized data administration... middle of paper... omHoffer, Jeffrey A., Joey F. George, and Joseph S. Valacich. Analysis and design of modern systems. 3rd edition. New York: Prentice Hall, 2002.Mattison, Rob. Understand database management systems. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998. Ramakrishnan, Raghu, Johannes Gehrke. Database management systems. 2nd edition. Boston MA: McGraw-Hill, 2002.Rolland, FD Managing Relational Databases with Oracle. Mass: Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1989.http://www.ad.ic.ac.uk/cpd/objects.htmhttp://www.dacs.dtic.mil/techs/oodbms2/oodbms-overview.shtmlhttp:/ /www.dacs.dtic.mil/techs/oodbms2/oodbms-characteristics.shtmlhttp://www.dacs.dtic.mil/techs/oodbms2/oodbms-application.shtmlhttp://www.dacs.dtic.mil/techs /oodbms2/oodbms-summary.shtmlhttp://www.ksccary.com/article5.htmhttp://searchcrm.techtarget.com/tip/1,289483,sid11_gci777107,00.html