This. Its interesting to read this thread mentioning DB and systems issues that are solves in Oracle APEX. We built an ERP system for a oil&gas client, including in the requirements, apps for monitoring gas values at the plant, by simply connecting to the mesurment equipment API. All that on Oracle XE, free version that comes with APEX. Three weeks to build apps, five months to implement in the company. I'm thinking software is not the problem, its people, politics in the company, resistance to change, really everthing but tech. We're solving business problems, helping the company cut costs, increase speed and streamline processes. Tech is a tool - there are so many other obstacles to solving problems other then tech. Thanks for mentioning Apex, and Oracle, in a thread about DB-s that fails to mention the company building databases for 40 years, that run for instance at CERN, to name but one.

At this point, I think APEX is the best product and biggest selling point of Oracle. Too bad they don't focus in selling it.

The largest drawback is that it comes with an Oracle database bundled, so many of the savings in development time are wasted dealing with it.