Edge-of-the-Enterprise Technology Spending Increased More Than 75 Percent in 2003, Forcing Companies to Rethink Supply Chain Integration Strategies Says Yankee Group.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2003 According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Yankee Group's 2003 Edge of the Enterprise end-user survey, 71 percent of companies (from a 78 end-user sample) increased spending on applications that improve interactions with customers, suppliers and service providers during 2003, compared to 2002. Spending on edge-of-the-enterprise technology rose more than 75 percent in 2003, albeit from a limited base. "Some prognosticators say IT can no longer deliver competitive advantage. Nothing could be further from the truth," says Jon Derome, Yankee Group (the Yankee Group, Boston, MA, www.yankeegroup.com) A major market research, analysis and consulting firm founded in 1970 by Howard Anderson. It provides general consulting and strategic planning in the computer and communications field. Business Applications & Commerce program manager. "The opportunity to automate To turn a set of manual steps into an operation that goes by itself. See automation. interactions with customers, suppliers and services providers, and streamline the value chain can deliver powerful business capabilities and impressive returns. Companies are investing at the edge-of-the-enterprise to reap these benefits. "To meet business objectives at the edge-of-the-enterprise, companies must integrate disconnected back-office systems into coherent edge applications," says Derome. "Opportunities at the edge of the enterprise are impressive, but not without risk. There is no clear road map, nor are there well-defined applications to automate processes at the edge. One thing is certain for edge solutions--heterogeneity will reign supreme. "To combat the technical inconvenience heterogeneity het·er·o·ge·ne·i·ty n. The quality or state of being heterogeneous. heterogeneity the state of being heterogeneous. imposes, companies must invest in effective supply chain integration solutions. Integration technologies will underpin any successful edge-of-the-enterprise solution. Organizations must articulate articulate /ar·tic·u·late/ (ahr-tik´u-lat) 1. to pronounce clearly and distinctly. 2. to make speech sounds by manipulation of the vocal organs. 3. to express in coherent verbal form. 4. objectives, understand supply chain integration complexity, and assess resource availability. With this information, decision-makers can apply appropriate integration infrastructure to the organization's edge-of-the-enterprise needs," says Derome. NOTE TO EDITORS For interviews, contact Jon Derome, jderome@yankeegroup.com. The Yankee Group (http://www.yankeegroup.com) The Yankee Group is the global leader in communications & networking research and consulting. The company helps businesses understand the opportunities, risks, and competitive pressures of developing, deploying, and consuming products and services that drive communication or information exchange. Now in its fourth decade, the Yankee Group is based in Boston with offices throughout North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , Europe, Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. , and the Pacific Rim Pacific Rim, term used to describe the nations bordering the Pacific Ocean and the island countries situated in it. In the post–World War II era, the Pacific Rim has become an increasingly important and interconnected economic region. . |
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