This IDC study provides a competitive analysis of the leading vendors in the Canadian SIS market for 2005. IDC is bullish on the system infrastructure software market in Canada, expecting growth of 5.4% in 2007. Macroeconomic conditions are positive in Canada, with the Canadian economy expected to pull out of recent sluggishness by mid-2007. The risk would be a larger-than-expected slowdown in the U.S. and European economies, which Canada is tied to by way of exports and (more important for IT spend) branch offices.

"As vendors fill out platform capabilities and broaden their channel reach, competition in already tight markets will heat up. Strong opportunities for growth exist in the SIS market, but given the competitive concentration, missteps can be costly," says David Senf, manager, Canadian Application Development and Infrastructure Software.