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Application Development & Integration

Application development and integration research covers key trends and standards in<br />the application development and integration space including Web services, middleware, service-oriented architectures (SOA), and enterprise service bus (ESB) architectures, as well as the leading vendors and systems integrators providing products and services to support integration. It also covers topics of data connectivity and data integration.

Business Intelligence & Analytics

Business intelligence and analytics research covers the databases and database tools, reporting and performance management, and analytics applications used by organization to analyze results, report on performance, consolidate financials, build dashboards, and predict outcomes. This research area also covers the growing trend of integrated intelligence and analytical tools within enterprise applications.

Content Management & Collaboration

Content management and collaboration research explores the use of both on-premise<br />and hosted or on-demand content management and collaborative applications including traditional Web-based and client-service content management, e-mail, and collaborative tools and emerging technologies such as wikis and blogs.

Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management research covers sales force automation, marketing automation, call center, and customer service and support automation applications as well as other applications, such as integration tools, analytics, or portals, that are used to support customer relationships. Key trends also covered in this area include sales asset management, customer experience management, and customer feedback tools.

E-Commerce

E-commerce research covers the technologies and strategies companies use to sell their products to consumers over the Internet. Themes explored include retail applications, on-demand and on-premise e-commerce delivery, payment and procurement systems, and the links between e-commerce and other enterprise applications.

Emerging Technologies

Emerging technologies research covers both new applications of traditional technologies<br />and new and emerging technology trends. Themes explored include Web-based productivity applications and software as a service.

Employee Management Applications

Employee management applications research covers all areas of technology used to<br />recruit, hire, compensate, train, and manage employees, including human resources and labor management, time and attendance, payroll management, talent management and training, and recruiting. Key themes explored include the use of software as a service in employee management, emerging social networking technologies and their links to HR, and compensation and benefits management.

Enterprise Applications

Enterprise applications research covers the evolving value proposition of enterprise applications including those used for general ledger, accounting and financial management, and production and planning management. Key themes explored include the evolving value proposition of supply chain management applications and strategies including traditional supply chain applications, application integration across the supply chain, and tools and technologies for supply chain analysis and collaboration, as well as add-on applications to optimize enterprise application performance.

IT Management & Operations

IT management and operations research explores both high-level IT management trends<br />and best practices and tactical IT operational issues such as network optimization, infrastructure management tools, and project management.

Networking & Communications

Networking and communications research covers the infrastructure, architectures,<br />devices, and strategies to deliver wireless and wired applications, including end user device-based applications and RFID initiatives. Key themes explored include IP telephony, RFID, municipal wifi, and mobile applications.

Security & Compliance

Security and compliance research covers key areas of security and compliance including messaging security and archiving, intrusion and extrusion protection and detection technologies, and password and identity management.

Software as a Service

Software as a Service research covers both on-demand software delivery and hosted /<br /> outsourced applications services, including CRM, content management, project management, analytics, and collaboration. Key themes explored include ROI and TCO models for on-demand, emerging on-demand technology areas of adoption, and on-demand vendors' infrastructure and management strategies.

Supply Chain Management

Trading partner networks today are crippled by inefficiencies caused by chains of paired relationships in which participants are blind to upstream and downstream change. To craft flexible, high-impact partnerships, firms must embrace an adaptive supply network strategy that's supported by new technologies, including Web services, extended Internet, and supply chain visibility software. Supply Chain Management research helps firms navigate the pitfalls of this networked environment with closed-loop insight into planning and execution, procurement, logistics, product design, and distribution.