This IDC study provides the latest software license and maintenance revenue shares of more than 110 enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications vendors between 2005 and 2007 and the overall market trends that form the basis of the 2008-2012 forecast. Having experienced slower-than-projected growth in 2007, the enterprise resource planning applications market is expected to muddle through a transition year in 2008 as macroeconomic factors have taken a toll on the ability of vendors to squeeze extra margins and incremental revenue from a relatively stagnant pool of customers and prospects.

"Some vendors were able to post better-than-average sales in 2007 because of their broad product offerings and massive numbers of customers,'' said Albert Pang, IDC research director of Enterprise Applications. "In the future, winners will be determined by their ability to build out their product portfolios with continuous innovation and customer preferences in mind while devoting necessary resources to focus on emerging verticals such as green energy.''