This IDC study of the results of leading suppliers in the worldwide business process automation (BPA) deployment software market for calendar-year 2005 measures software "deployed" based on a value proposition of potential use by nonprofessional developers and preference for a combined development/deployment instance (among other characteristics). This study updates the BPA deployment software market "share tables" released in March 2005. This competitive analysis complements related IDC research deliverables that overview detailed demand-side data about the BPA value proposition; analyze many of the suppliers' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in more detail; and forecast the BPA deployment software market through 2010 by geography and operating environment.

"The fact that the "top 10" only accounts for 54% of the market means that the BPA deployment software market is still an open opportunity," says Dennis Byron, vice president of Business Process Automation and Deployment Software Research at IDC. "However the window is closing, and anyone wishing to play needs to partner up or pony up for an acquisition fairly soon because it is too late to begin to develop BPA deployment software from the ground up."