Pick is an alternate name for all MultiValue DBMS platforms. Examples include D3, jBase, Unidata, Universe, QM, and Reality. The name Pick is from the originator Richard Pick. The platform has been in worldwide use since the 1960's and continues today as a NoSQL alternative to RDBMS for all modern business needs. One can argue that this is the real first NoSQL database as it has been used since the 1960's.
The Pick system is one of the first DBMS systems to be developed and used on a commercial scale. It predates most other systems and its first commercial use was as the Generalized Information Retrieval Language System (GIRLS) on an IBM System/360 in 1965 by Don Nelson and Dick Pick at TRW for use by the U.S. Army to control the inventory of Cheyenne helicopter parts.
The Pick database management system is also referred to as MultiValue, MultiDimensional, and even MultiRelational. This alternative DBMS to SQL/RDBMS offers enterprise-level scalability and flexibility to support dynamic growth while being equally at home in single user and hobby applications.
While it's easy to create databases, schema, and programs in this environment, its structure allows for complex definitions of data structures and program logic to support Banks, Hospitals, ERP, Insurance, Manufacturing, and other common lines of business.
The underlying data structure provides software developers all the tools to rapidly develop and customize applications without compromising data integrity. Modern tools and languages can be used with the platform to deliver common solutions including GUI, web services, and mobile apps.
Companies offering MV / Pick DBMS platforms include Rocket Software, Ladybridge, Revelation, and Northgate IS. InterSystems also supports full MV DBMS functionality in its Caché DBMS.
