2025 was another remarkable year for Exadata Database Service and Base Database Service. We launched the next-generation of Oracle Exadata across every leading cloud, delivered Oracle AI Database 26ai for all of our database services, and expanded our multicloud strategy with additional services, features, and regions. We also broadened Exascale deployment options and reaffirmed our commitment to developers with additional zero‑cost Oracle Database licensing options.
The beginning of the year is a great time to look back and recap the key announcements as we prepare for more groundbreaking advances in 2026. Here’s a summary of 5 top announcements from 2025.
Exadata X11M
We released Exadata X11M, featuring faster state-of-the-art hardware components and the Exascale intelligent data architecture, everywhere you need it. It’s available on-premises with Exadata Database Machine, as a hybrid cloud with Exadata Cloud@Customer, and in the public cloud in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) as well as in Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS.
In addition to accelerating transaction processing and analytic workloads, Exadata X11M also accelerates AI workloads and is the best platform to run Oracle AI Database 26ai. It’s available at the same price as our previous generation, delivering you greater value.
Oracle AI Database 26ai
We released Oracle AI Database 26ai, the latest long-term support release, for all Oracle Database services in the cloud with availability for on-premises platforms coming soon. Oracle AI Database 26ai enables you to deliver AI-powered insights natively in the database alongside transactional and analytic workloads. It expands AI Vector Search capabilities that combine vectors with other data types in a single query, adds support for agentic AI workflows, and introduces additional features that help you securely bring AI to your data. Transitioning from 23ai to 26ai is simple—just apply the October 2025 release update with no database upgrade or application re-certification required.
Multicloud Enhancements
We’ve continued to expand Oracle Database services across Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS with new services, features, and regions. Oracle Database@AWS is now generally available—joining Oracle Database@Google Cloud and Oracle Database@Azure—giving you more options to deploy Oracle AI Database on the leading public clouds with Exadata performance and a familiar user experience. Now you can modernize your database workloads on your preferred hyperscaler cloud with a choice of either Autonomous AI Database, Exadata Database Service, or Base Database Service.
New deployment and management features further streamline operations. Exadata Database Service now provides native key management integration across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, plus unified monitoring for alerts and events. To speed time-to-value, Multicloud Landing Zones deliver pre-built Terraform automation for Exadata Database Service deployment, available now in the OCI Landing Zones GitHub repository.
Oracle Database 19c support with Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure
We now support Oracle Database 19c with Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure. Due to its native integration with the Exascale architecture, only Oracle AI Database 26ai was supported with the initial release of Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure. However, many mission-critical workloads still run on Oracle Database 19c. You now can realize the benefits of Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure for Oracle Database 19c with an upgrade path to Oracle AI Database 26ai when you are ready.
Exascale storage for Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer and Dedicated Infrastructure
We now support Exascale storage with Exadata Database Service on Cloud@Customer and Dedicated Infrastructure in the public cloud. Exascale simplifies storage management for databases so you can benefit from innovations such as redirect-on-write, space-efficient database clones. This accelerates the development of next-generation applications while enabling idle Exadata resources to be used for development with a zero cost Oracle Database license for Developers.
Zero cost Oracle Database licenses for Developers
We now support Oracle Database licenses at zero cost for developers with Exadata Database Service and Base Database Service. You can build AI-powered applications using Oracle Database Enterprise Edition and most Oracle Database options on the same stack that you use for your production database. You no longer need to make trade-offs using Standard Edition for development while using Enterprise Edition for production. When combined with Oracle APEX, you have all the tools you need to build and test scalable and secure enterprise applications in the cloud without incurring licensing costs.
Those were the highlights, but there’s much more…
In 2025 we also released dozens of additional features and enhancements. Take a look at the new features section of the documentation for more details. 2026 is shaping up to be an even bigger year with many great announcements planned.
I’d like to close by thanking the Exadata, Oracle Database Cloud, and OCI engineering and support teams for their tireless efforts in making Oracle Database services and Exadata the best place to run Oracle AI Database in the cloud and all our customers and partners for their trust and support.