This IDC study makes 10 predictions for the information access and analysis software markets, which include business intelligence, data warehousing, search, and text analytics software. Today's confused market landscape shows both consolidation and fragmentation. As enterprises move from transaction-based to information-based platforms, the need to unify access to multiple information silos, enabling sharing and analysis across formats and repositories, has become critical. IDC expects that new hardware and software technologies as well as a resurgence of ecommerce will drive adoption of these applications.

"As information access and analysis markets continue to consolidate, IDC believes that these hot areas for software development will continue to buck the trend toward slowing market growth," says Sue Feldman, IDC's VP for Search and Digital Marketplace Technologies.