14/10-04   -   Pressmeddelande

Change in Customer Focus From Cost Cutting to Strategic Spending Fuels Growth in Swedish Software Market, Says IDC

The Swedish software market, currently valued at $2 billion, is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% between 2003 and 2008, according to a new IDC study. The study also reports, however, that this growth follows a disappointing 2003, when the market declined 1.1%.

"Economic development was weak and the main focus among enterprises was cost cutting. As a result, demand in the IT market was focused on consolidation of decentralized hardware platforms and as a consequence we saw growth in system infrastructure software, while both application software and application development and deployment tools declined. The market shows that customer demand is now turning towards more revenue generating solutions that will spur demand in both CRM and SCA solutions," said Nils Molin, a senior analyst at IDC Nordic.

The increased demand for these solutions will bring back growth in the application market. The main growth engine will, however, continue to be infrastructure software in the Swedish market over the next five years. While most software market segments are forecast to grow around 5% annually over the period, the markets for system management software, security software, and storage software are expected to grow at a CAGR of 9% to 12%.

Vendor performance varied greatly among the top 5 vendors, with Microsoft increasing revenues by nearly 10%, HP by more than 11%, and IBM by 5%. Oracle´s revenues declined 17% and SAP´s 3%.

To purchase the study, Sweden Software 2003 Vendor Shares and 2003–2008 Forecast (IDC #SE560456L, September 2004), please visit www.idc.com or contact your local IDC office.

About IDC
IDC is the premier global market intelligence and advisory firm in the information technology and telecommunications industries. We analyze and predict technology trends so that our clients can make strategic, fact-based decisions on IT purchases and business strategy. Over 700 IDC analysts in 50 countries provide local expertise and insights on technology markets. Business executives and IT managers have relied for 40 years on our advice to make decisions that contribute to the success of their organizations.

IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world´s leading technology media, research, and events company. Additional information can be found at www.idc.com
# # #

All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information, contact:
Nils Molin
+46 (0)8 751 0415
nmolin@idc.com