Business Intelligence (BI) Software to Have Greatest Impact on Business Over the Next 2-5 Years

1,607 Executives From 36 Countries Identifies BI, Enterprise Application Extensions, and Software as a Service (SaaS) as the Top Technologies on CIOs' Wish Lists


BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - July 14, 2009) - Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), announced the release of its "The 2009 State of the Market: Mid-Year Insights Report" which found that as companies look forward, Business Intelligence (BI) applications are expected to have the highest impact on organizations over the next two to five years.

Aberdeen's recent research reveals that leading companies have established BI strategies that include the integration of BI within existing enterprise applications such as ERP and CRM solutions. Therefore it is not surprising to see that enterprise application enhancements/extensions rate as the 2nd most important technology when it comes to future impact on the business. In fact, further research reveals that BI is, in fact, the most predominant extension/module planned for ERP systems.

The report also finds that the expected growth of BI use within responding companies is being driven by several business initiatives, including sustainability/green performance tracking, field marketing and promotions tracking, and customer service/relations. This focus has been driven by the shift in BI project focus from an emphasis on long-range strategic trending and planning, to more tactical/operational applications within specific business units.

Results demonstrate that companies are also measuring the ROI achieved on their BI investments. 42% of all respondents selected "sales performance metrics" as the top measure used to determine ROI of BI investments, followed by "cost savings metrics," "customer performance metrics," and "process efficiency metrics."

"One in four respondents identified business intelligence/analytics as the software technology with the most pronounced effect on the business in 2009," states David Hatch, Vice President, Technology Research at Aberdeen Group. "Companies are finding that BI has many uses within the organization, but the barriers to success lie in the ability to make access and use pervasive. The top performers are focusing efforts on creating a self-service approach to BI that enables non-technical workers to obtain information and analytic capabilities without burdening the IT staff."

About The 2009 Aberdeen Report State of the Market: Mid-Year Insights:

Each section of the report is designed to serve two purposes: 1) educate the CEO on key trends, initiatives and developments; and 2) provide guidance to functional leaders as they encounter new challenges, embrace new opportunities and adapt to the changing economic environment, providing executive teams with a roadmap to navigate through uncertain times. A copy of the report can be obtained at: http://resources.aberdeen.com/2009AberdeenReport

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748.

© 2009 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
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Contact Information: Media Contact: Tracey Jones Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (925) 264-1838 tracey.jones @aberdeen.com