IDC (Interactive Data Corp) continues to evaluate the BI tools market in the context of what has been identified as a 15-year market cycle that began in 2005. Historical analysis suggests that most markets experience a typical s-curve pattern. This pattern begins with early modest growth, which is followed by accelerated growth and then a mature period with a slowdown in growth, and it ends with a decline until a new market cycle resumes. The BI tools market is currently in its third s-curve market cycle and is only in the third year of the current cycle. Therefore, IDC expects acceleration in the BI tools market starting in 2009.

The Top 5 Business Intelligence Tool Vendors According to IDC:

1- Business Objects

Business Objects continues its reign as the leading BI tools vendor. In 2006, the company’s software revenue in this market reached $894 million. In 2006, Business Objects experienced a slight slowdown in its BI tools license revenue growth. After gaining half a percentage point in share in 2005, the company gave it up in 2006. However, the latest information on the uptake of its Business Objects XI platform suggests a pickup in growth in the latter part of 2006 and early 2007. Business Objects is also making an aggressive push into the midmarket, where it targets organizations with less than $1 billion in revenue. The company’s partner network is one of its strongest assets, and this effort, which depends in large part on indirect sales, is expected to contribute to the growth of Business Objects’ BI tools.

2 - SAS

SAS was again the second-largest BI tools vendor, with $679 million in software revenue and a continued steady increase in market share to 11%. SAS had the highest growth rate among the top 3 BI tools vendors and the third-highest growth rate among the top 10 vendors. SAS still derives more revenue from its advanced analytics tools, but its effort to revamp and more aggressively market its QRA tools since 2004 has paid off, with QRA’s share of SAS’ total BI tools revenue increasing from 37% in 2004 to 44% in 2006. As the leader in the advanced analytics market, SAS holds 31% of that market segment.

3 - Cognos

Cognos maintained the third position in the BI tools market, with $622 million in software revenue and a 10% growth rate in 2006. It is also one of only three vendors with at least a 10% share in the BI tools market. Cognos has pursued a two-pronged strategy of developing and marketing BI tools and financial performance management applications, with recent expansion into other related performance management markets such as workforce analytics. Nevertheless, BI tools remain Cognos’ largest product line. In 2006, Cognos released several enhancements to its core BI platform.

4 - Microsoft

Microsoft had another strong year in the BI tools market, with the highest growth rate (28%) among the top 10 vendors. IDC’s revenue allocation for Microsoft in this market differs somewhat from other vendors in that its BI tools revenue is not only made up of standalone software that the company acquired with its 2006 purchase of ProClarity Software but also includes what IDC calls embedded BI tools that are bundled with Microsoft SQL Server. These database-embedded tools include SQL Server Analysis Services and Reporting Services. As part of its broader business analytics offerings, Microsoft also includes SQL Server Integration Services within SQL Server. Its other related tools that the company positions within the business analytics stack include Microsoft Excel, with specific Excel 2007 features for BI, and Performance Point Server, a set of performance management applications to be released in the second half of 2007.

Microsoft’s growth in the BI tools market can be attributed to focused sales and marketing efforts in recent years, accompanied by both internal R&D and acquisitions. While, in the past, Microsoft considered BI to be functionality that helps to sell databases and enhance its partners’ more extensive BI capabilities, the company has since identified BI as a market worth pursuing directly.

5 - Hyperion

Hyperion maintained its fifth position in the market, with a 5.2% market share and a 12.3% growth rate. Since releasing its latest BI platform, which incorporates the best of the Hyperion and former Brio components (in addition to certain new performance enhancements), the company has improved its standing in the BI tools market. Hyperion’s other major product line includes financial performance and strategy management applications, where company has been the market leader for years. In March 2007, Oracle announced its plans to acquire Hyperion. IDC sees the event as a positive development for both Oracle and former Hyperion clients.

Other Business Intelligence Proprietary products

• ACE*COMM
• Ab Initio
• ActiveReports
• Actuate
• BOARD International
• COA Solutions
• ComArch
• CyberQuery
• Data Applied
• Decision Support Panel
• Dimensional Insight
• HP Neoview
• IBM
  • Applix
  • Cognos
  • SPSS
• IDV Solutions Visual Fusion
• InetSoft
• Informatica
• Information Builders
• InfoZoom
• Izenda
• Jreport
• LogiXML
• LucidEra
• Microsoft
  • SQL Server Reporting Services
  • SQL Server Analysis Services
  • PerformancePoint Server 2007
  • Proclarity
• MicroStrategy
• m-Power
• Oracle Corporation
  • Hyperion Solutions Corporation
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Suite Enterprise Edition
• Panorama Software
• Pentaho
• Pervasive DataRush
• Pilot Software, Inc.
• PRELYTIS
• Qliktech
• Quipu (data integration) (Open source data integration)
• SAP Business Information Warehouse
  • Business Objects
  • OutlookSoft
• SAS Institute
• Siebel Systems
• Spotfire (now Tibco)
• StatSoft
• Sybase IQ
• Tableau Software
• Teradata
• Thomson Data Analyzer
• XLCubed

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