CMS’s latest research of 13 portal vendors finds major product changes from a number of vendors, including Microsoft, IBM and Oracle. No less than six vendors are considered to be “overhauling” or "refreshing" the software, CMS Watch Analyst Jarrod Gingras was quoted to say.
With a significant number of vendors updating their portal software, IT directors are dragging their feet on new portal solutions purchases. They do not want to be the first to deploy new software, according to the report,
Mid-development, buyers may be wary of the upgrades, but they are a sign of an active market place and economic rebound.
"It is rare to see so many products in one market go through such overhaul at the same time, but as portal technology has returned to fashion, the vendors realized that their offerings were overdue for an upgrade," Gingras said in a press release.
In 2000, portals were expected to solve all of the world’s problems, experiencing a major boom before the bubble burst, said Alan Pelz-Sharpe, CMS Watch principal analyst. “That ended in tears really.”
But because of changes in the economic environment or other unforeseen shifts, 2010 is seeing a tempered return of enthusiasm for the technology, as lots of public and private organizations move toward the self-service model, said Pelz-Sharpe.
That said, most buyers are making the right move by remaining cautious, Pelz-Sharpe told Information Management. As vendors upgrade, it is important to genuinely understand vendors' product roadmaps
“With any major upgrade, unless your very confident or want to get a lead on your competitor, it’s usually best to wait a while,” he said. “It all comes down to the buyer’s appetite for risk, but most buyers don’t want to be the guinea pig.”
If you are looking for a good deal however, there are some great options for those willing to be early adopters. And if not, the waiting period is not expected to last long, CMS Watch expects a strong buying period late this year once the new products are released.
Click here to read “Transforming Information Management with Enterprise Mashups.” Eric Kavanagh discusses how mashups will emerge as the new strategic view of enterprise data.
Click here to join the discussion about desktop mashups and phone applications, and share your favorites mashup tools.
Adrienne Baker is associate editor at Information Management. She can be reached at adrienne.baker@sourcemedia.com.
Be the first to comment on this post using the section below.