Microsoft BizTalk Server Tops the List

Nucleus Research, a global provider of Return on Investment (ROI)-focused research and advisory services, today announced the availability of its newest Market ROI Scorecard which measures the strength of vendor solutions in the integration market. Research showed that integration vendors as a whole provide good delivery of ROI. Microsoft, BEA, IBM, Sonic and TIBCO rate in the top-tier category for potential ROI, with webMethods placing just behind them, while the overall market average receives a score of 4.2 out of five.

Scorecards are based on Nucleus analysts' independent assessment of a given vendor's ability to deliver positive ROI to customers. Based on Nucleus's extensive library of ROI case studies and customer interviews, Vendor ROI scores rate solutions on a scale from one to five, with five being the best and one being the worst.

For access to the integration Market ROI Scorecard along with individual scorecards for each of the companies and products, please visit NucleusResearch.com.

Nucleus Market ROI Scorecards compare competing vendors' ROI scores and provide insights on key themes impacting ROI in a particular market segment. Part of an ongoing series, the ROI Scorecard announced today includes rankings for the integration market and covers vendors including Microsoft (NYSE: MSFT), BEA (NYSE: BEAS), IBM (NYSE: IBM), Sonic, TIBCO (NYSE: TIBX) and webMethods (NYSE: WEBM).

Ratings are determined by Nucleus's assessment of five key factors contributing to the ability of a solution to deliver a positive return on investment:

• Deployment – based on how easily and quickly a solution can be deployed
• Adoption – based on usability and the potential scalability of adoption
• Support – based on the ability of the solution to function with limited internal support costs
• Business Impact – based on the potential of the solution to deliver returns through clear and repeatable benefits
• Vendor – based on a vendor's track record and ability to help a customer maximize ROI

"The growth of the integration market has provided enterprise customers with many more choices about which integration strategy works best in a specific situation," said Rebecca Wettemann, vice president of research at Nucleus. "The introduction of standards and the transition from point-to-point messaging-based integration has reduced the time, cost and risk associated with this process."

About Nucleus Research

Nucleus Research is a global consulting and advisory company that provides CFOs, CIOs and their staffs with the real-world information they need to maximize the business returns from their technology investments. Its analysts blend financial analysis and case-based investigations with comprehensive technology expertise to deliver factual return-on-investment (ROI) data to organizations worldwide. The company uses an uncompromising set of processes and tools to evaluate the financial return on IT assets and is the only firm to gain certification by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. Nucleus Research has analyst experts across the entire enterprise software and hardware space and provides clients with ongoing advice to help with both short-term technology decisions and long-term strategic plans. For more information, visit NucleusResearch.com