Accenture has been named as the new worldwide leader in Systems Integration (SI) services, according to an IDC analysis of SI services revenues for 2005. IDC said the competitive shift is significant. It's the first time IBM Global Services has been bumped from the top spot since IDC first began tracking the market in the late 1990s.

IDC defines SI as a process that includes the planning, design, implementation and project management of a solution that addresses the specific technical or business needs of a client, including systems and customer application development and implementation and integration of enterprise packaged software.

According to IDC market analysis, Accenture's rise to the number one position in worldwide SI was due to customers’ increased investments in SOA, infrastructure improvements and application services.

"Fueled by strong customer demand particularly in the Americas and EMEA, Accenture achieved 8 percent growth, well above the market," IDC reported. "Deep client relationships, a robust ecosystem of partners, and strong brand recognition have contributed to its success."

"Our revenue growth and increased market share did not happen by chance," said Dave Hill, Accenture’s Managing Director for Systems Integration. "They can be attributed to the clear articulation of our SOA vision and our strong partnerships with leading software vendors, as well as greatly improved market conditions."

According to the IDC report, worldwide SI services experienced its strongest year since the peak of the dot.com boom in the late 1990s. The market experienced growth of approximately 4% in 2005, about double over the previous year. However, half of the top eight companies experienced declines due to various factors.

"The improved economic conditions, pent-up demand and a desire to align business processes with IT systems drove spending," continued the report. "High-growth areas are investments in SOA, infrastructure improvements, and application services."

IDC also noted that willingness to embrace the evolution of the software environment, close collaboration with partners and customers, strong understanding of the industry-specific business processes, and mature and seamless global delivery capability are predictors of future success in the SI market.

Outsourcing growth opportunities notwithstanding, project-based services represent the leading services business for most of the top 10 worldwide SI providers, according to the report. Accenture, for example, further increased its outsourcing business to 40 percent of its overall services business, compared with 37.4 percent the previous year.

About the market research report

The IDC Study, "Worldwide and U.S. Systems Integration 2005 Vendor Shares: Top 10 Vendors for 2005 (IDC #203780) reviews the leading systems integrators in the U.S. and worldwide markets. It provides a top 10 listing of companies in each of these markets and briefly discusses their positioning and competitive outlook. This document also makes recommendations for companies competing in these markets.

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