Asia's market for data management software is growing

update The information and data management software (IDMS) software market in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan) will reach almost US$2.0 billion in 2009, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 10 percent from 2004's US$1.2 billion, according to IDC.

The research firm also noted that the relational database management systems (RDBMS) segment accounts for the bulk of the IDMS market. Other segments include end-user DBMS and data management.

Sharon Tan, an analyst at IDC Asia-Pacific, said the growth in RDBMS is driven partly by an enterprise's need to manage data generated from the increasing use of data-related applications such as business intelligence, in matured markets.

"Although the RDBMS market in Asia-Pacific is not quite as matured as that in North America, the market has started to show signs of declining prices and commoditization," she explained. "Given the increasing maturity of this market, vendors are seeking to debunk the commodity image that databases tend to have by embedding or packaging new functionalities such as business intelligence, as' free' or minimal cost," said Tan.

Hong Kong's IDMS market is valued at US$63.8 million in 2004, according to IDC, and is expected to grow 5.9 percent during the forecast period, reaching US$84.8 million in 2009. The country's small and midsized businesses also contributed significantly to this market, currently accounting for more than a quarter of the IDMS market, said IDC.

The research firm valued Singapore's IDMS market at US$76.6 million last year, forecasting this segment to grow steadily at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 8.8 percent to exceed US$100 million by 2009.

According to IDC, the IDMS market in the island-state is matured and highly penetrated, where key market drivers include government initiatives, e-commerce hub, as well as supply chain hub activities.