InterSystems sponsored research reveals that integration project spend in 2006 is set to increase by nearly 40%

InterSystems sponsored research reveals that integration project spend in 2006 is set to increase by nearly 40%

- the research also shows that 50% of all integration activity lacks a specialist coordination and standards-enforcing group -

Research by PMP and InterSystems has found that while over a third of organisations are going to increase their budget for integration software in 2006, less than half have teams in place to ensure that this additional spend will be a success.

The findings, published in an industry report entitled ‘Integration Software: Maximising the Return on IT Investment’, are based on a survey of 100 executives representing large organisations in a cross-section of industries. They highlight the fact that UK companies need to think more strategically about their integration plans. They need to ensure they have the best-suited teams and partners in place to execute them, in order to maximize return on their existing investment and derive the real benefits of integration. Such benefits include; the improvement of business processes; better operational efficiency; access to real time management information; meeting compliance and regulatory requirements; and an overall competitive edge.

The findings are compounded by the fact that only 38% of all integration projects are preceded by ‘proofs of concept’, either paid for or vendor-complementary, and that nearly half (45%) of all integration activities happen on a case-by-case basis. In addition, in 54% of projects, integration tools are evaluated and purchased to meet the needs of a specific requirement, rather than coming from a standard set of tools that are part of the existing development environment. This further increases the need for expert teams to be in place, to ensure that both the selection and implementation are successful.

“It is vital for companies to recognize that implementing integration projects is about more than just choosing the right technology and provider,” advises Graham Frost, managing director for Northern Europe at InterSystems. “Proofs of concept should be undertaken as they enable users and partners to fully understand the business benefits of the selected integration tool before they go ahead with a full-scale implementation. This can be a key factor to ensuring successful implementation and real return on investment from the project.”

Frost continued, “InterSystems is committed to the modern business practice of risk and value sharing, and on working with our customers and their implementation teams as true partners, before, during and after go-live. This helps to ensure that every implementation achieves its business objectives with sustained measurable value to users.”

InterSystems’ customers operate in a variety of sectors including government, healthcare, financial services, telecoms and retail. In the UK, users of Ensemble the universal integration platform, include Moorfields Eye Hospital, The Cancer Registries, OmPrompt, Barts and The London NHS Trust, and Rhyme.

InterSystems Ensemble universal integration platform is the only application integration platform to incorporate the functionality of integration and application servers, a high performance database, and a unified development and management environment in a single, architecturally seamless product. Ensemble’s unique architecture enables it to address even the most complex integration projects far more rapidly and cost-effectively than is typical with other integration technologies, and scales from the smallest to the largest of projects.

For a copy of the PMP / InterSystems report ‘Integration Software: Maximising the Return on IT Investment,’ please go to www.InterSystems.co.uk/ensemble

NOTES TO EDITORS
About InterSystems:
For over 25 years, InterSystems Corporation has been a technology innovation leader in database and integration software. The CACHÉ post-relational database and Ensemble universal integration platform enable software developers in every industry sector to rapidly create, deploy and integrate high-performance applications. With headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts and twenty-five regional offices, InterSystems serves more than four million users around the world. For more information, visit www.InterSystems.com

A free, fully functional, no-time-limit copy of CACHÉ can be downloaded or requested on CD from the InterSystems Web site.

PMP (UK) Ltd
Based in Amersham, Bucks., PMP (UK) Ltd (www.pmp.co.uk) specialises in researching and informing the IT and telecommunications end user communities and the CSI channel (consultants and system integrators) through its range of authoritative publications, including, Conspectus and Management Consultants News. PMP’s recently launched Evaluation Centre (www.evaluationcentre.com) provides an interactive service guiding consultants and end users to the selection and use of business software, services and technology.