IDC Expects Strong Growth In The Information Access Tools Market.

Revenues in the worldwide information access tool IAT) software market climbed almost 21 percent, approaching $8 billion in 1999 and growth in this market will remain above 20 percent at least through 2004. According to IDC, the market is on track to exceed $20.6 billion by 2004.

"The overall information access tools market will earn solid growth of approximately 21 percent compounded annually through 2004," says Dan Vesset, a senior analyst in IDC's Data Warehousing and Information Access research program. "However, comparing the growth rates of each of the market's subsegments will reveal significant discrepancies. End-user query and reporting, data mining, and online analytical processing will be fast growers while executive information systems, spreadsheets, and statistical and technical data analysis will all be slow-growing markets."

In terms of vendors, IDC believes Microsoft, with its new OLAP Services for SQL/Server, will help generate IAT market growth. Already, after only one full year on the market, Microsoft's new product has reached the number six spot in the online analytical processing segment and 10th place in the enterprise decision support segment.

North America is and will remain the largest market for information access tool software. It will account for more than half of the market's revenues through 2004. Correspondingly, US vendors will dominate the market. In 1999, they accounted for 81 percent of the market's wealth, and while their dominance will decrease throughout the forecast, they'll still account for almost three-fourths of the market's revenues in 2004.

The enterprise decision support segment is currently the largest segment of the market. According to IDC, it accounted for 38 percent of the market with more than $3 billion in revenues in 1999. Through 2004, revenues in this segment will increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 34 percent and approach $13 billion.