RE: ERP Special Report - Gulp!

Well that last email did not come across very well - try this:

ERP Special Report Thursday, February 3, 2005 
 
Gulp!
By Lauren Gibbons Paul
The upheaval in the ERP market continues. Not to worry. Here's how to navigate 
through the uncertainty without putting your plans on indefinite hold.

It's not easy being an ERP software customer these days. Just keeping abreast 
of the mergers and acquisitions in this space has become a job unto itself. 
Oracle's epic -- and ultimately successful -- 18-month-long takeover battle for 
PeopleSoft is just the latest example. SSA Global (Chicago) has pulled off nine 
acquisitions since 2001, transforming itself from a big player in ISeries 
applications to an enterprise software powerhouse. Infor Global Solutions 
(Alpharetta, GA) has jumped onto the map in a big way, bootstrapping itself 
into being a half-billion-dollar vertical ERP player by snapping up 12 
companies or applications since May 2002.

The problem is things are not likely to calm down anytime soon. The top four 
players in the ERP space, according to research house Bain & Co., account for 
less than 50% of the overall market share, indicating there's a lot more 
winnowing to be done. Moreover, according to the report, 65% of public software 
companies are not profitable.

More available through: 
        http://www.managingautomation.com/