Five key technology and BI trends are impacting businesses in 2009, according to Oco, Inc.:
1. Growth of Complementary BI
Companies have long attempted to standardize using a single application or approach to address all of their technology needs in a specific area. However, BI cannot be effectively implemented using a single standardized approach. There are too many different capabilities, vertical-specific requirements and deployment models to be restricted to one standard BI tool from a single vendor. Driven by diverse organizational needs, a growing number of companies will recognize that one size does not fit all and turn to a set of distinctive BI tools with varying capabilities from different vendors to address a range of BI requirements.
2. SaaS Goes Upmarket
Software as a service has provided an attractive proposition to small and midsized companies, yet large, multinational enterprises are also realizing the benefits of rapidly deployed solutions that require minimal ongoing IT support. These large firms are turning to SaaS BI solutions to complement their existing BI infrastructure. The SaaS-based BI approach will significantly proliferate among large, multibillion-dollar companies in 2009 and beyond.
3. Information Silos Will Tumble
As the different functions within an organization become more interrelated, the insight needed to make effective business decisions doesn't come from one single area. Analytical decision-making requires that information be gathered from many different functions across an enterprise, which is a difficult task when data ownership resides in individual systems. As decision-making continues to become more cross-functional, data silos will break down.
4. Collaborative BI Throughout the Extended Enterprise
As analytic solutions become richer and more powerful, they will reach outside the firewall to a company's customers, suppliers and service providers. This extended enterprise will both contribute data to the solution, and also use the analytics that it offers. These solutions will be significantly enriched in 2009, driving value throughout the ecosystem.
5. Corporate Hot Spots Will Drive BI
In the recession, companies will choose IT initiatives that address specific business hot spots and offer a quick payback. BI will provide organizations with visibility into opportunities to cross-sell into existing customers, ensure at-risk revenue is secured, identify new opportunities, rationalize costs and inventory, and meet goals set out by leadership. Companies are targeting a 3x ROI and payback in 90 days or less.
This list is compiled from a press release Oco sent Dec. 17, 2008. Oco is a vendor of BI, SaaS and data integration solutions.
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