ONCE EXCLUSIVELY a specialist tool, BI now forms an integral part of many core business processes. This trend lends a distinct advantage to BI vendors providing high-quality end-to-end solutions, particularly as enterprises are looking to consolidate their BI needs around one single-vendor solution. However according to independent market analyst Datamonitor's report Decision Matrix: Selecting a Business Intelligence Vendor, although the market leaders are well placed to maintain their position, the business intelligence space is replete with other vendors that could challenge the current leaders, hi what Datamonitor expects to be a market worth $7.9 billion globally by year-end 2012, the stakes are clearly high. BI solutions are being deployed increasingly widely throughout the organisation. Datamonitor has developed the Decision Matrix to help businesses select vendors based on their technology strength, reputation among customers, and impact in the market. Conclusions are based on a quantitative assessment of end-user sentiment, the capabilities of the business intelligence solutions on offer and technology features. Datamonitor's research revealed some interesting findings. Based on their technology assessment, end-user sentiment and market impact, SAS is the clear BI market leader. S AS offers a great portfolio of both basic and advanced functionality, backed up by a dependable support capability. Its stable financial footing, superb vision and lead in advanced analytics all imply SAS is well placed to continue as the BI market leader. Oracle has successfully integrated its recently acquired BI expertise and, as a result, it has managed to exert itself within the BI market. However if one considers its user base, commanding presence in the global applications market, and a comprehensive yet flexible BI solution, Oracle's lead position comes as no surprise. Oracle's dynamic outlook, exemplified by recent M&A activity, suggests it won't be complacent and will continue to enhance its standing in the BI market. The report also reveals several players that are all capable of challenging the SAS and Oracle duopoly, should market conditions change. According to Datamonitor, Business Objects and Cognos are in the best position to improve, although Datamonitor notes both need to recover some of the momentum lost during platform reengineering. SAP provides a compelling and comprehensive solution, but it needs to capture a larger share of the non-SAP market if its position is to change, while IBM requires further addition of certain functional areas if it is to compete with the most successful BI vendors. Although Microsoft falls much further behind, Datamonitor believes that its BI strategy is still evolving and it may be a much more important player in the medium to long term.

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