Couchbase launches mobile vector search, new columnar DB solutions

Couchbase has announced the launch of Couchbase Mobile with vector search capabilities, aimed at bringing AI-powered applications from the server to the edge of the cloud.

This new feature enables developers to build sophisticated mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) applications that function seamlessly both online and offline. According to the company, this development removes traditional constraints on application development and functionality, thereby enhancing device capability and intelligence without the need for an ongoing internet connection.

The new functionality aims to enable devices to incorporate smart, context-aware features, which could open up new possibilities in industrial applications and enhance everyday device performance. "By enabling on-device vector search, we're not just speeding up applications and eliminating downtime due to internet outages; we're opening up new possibilities for secure AI development," stated Matt McDonough, SVP of Product and Partners at Couchbase.

Alongside the mobile update, Couchbase unveiled Capella Columnar Database-as-a-Service on AWS. The new service aims to streamline the development of adaptive applications by enabling JSON operational and analytics processing within a single database platform. "With the launch of Capella Columnar, we're solving long-standing challenges in JSON data analytics, enabling businesses to seamlessly integrate insights into their operational applications," said McDonough.

Capella Columnar supports the real-time, multisource ingestion of data not only from Couchbase but also from other platforms like Confluent Cloud and various SQL systems. By offering both key-value and columnar storage options, the platform aims to simplify the operational and analytic workloads, and allow seamless integration of JSON data. "Capella Columnar implements the solution, and the needs of AI-powered applications provide the motive," added McDonough.

To further support developers, Couchbase announced the introduction of Capella Free Tier, a no-cost environment that allows developers to explore and test new features without time constraints. This new offering aims to simplify learning, development, and deployment processes on the Capella platform. "Developers want to kick the tyres on any software they plan to use before committing, particularly when it comes to database solutions," said Kate Holterhoff, Senior Analyst at RedMonk.

Carl Olofson, Research Vice President at IDC, commented on the new capabilities, stating, "Couchbase already provides a highly flexible data management capability by blending its base JSON document model with the ability to manage the data in a networked way. Now they have added blended analytic-transaction processing support that leverages the performance advantage of columnar data management together with vector search."

Paul Mac Farland, SVP of Partner and Innovation Ecosystem at Confluent, also weighed in on the partnership. "Confluent’s complete data streaming platform for Apache Kafka and Apache Flink captures events from any system and feeds them into Couchbase Capella for real-time insights at scale," said Mac Farland. He described the collaboration as one that empowers businesses with secure and governed data analytics necessary for next-generation customer experiences and operational workloads.

In addition, Couchbase ambassador Paul Capestany highlighted the potential for solo mobile app developers. "Pretty exciting what even a solo mobile app developer can build with vector search on Couchbase Lite: lots of neat AI capabilities, actually running locally and instantly on-device," said Capestany.

Couchbase's new offerings are now generally available, with the Capella Free Tier expected to be accessible in September.