Market researcher Ovum Ltd has published a new report called The Computer Integrated Company: Market Driver for the 1990s which suggests the long term growth prospects for the information technology industry are still healthy, averaging about 11% a year. A major growth factor will be computer integrated companies which Ovum says will support the transfer of information between computer systems without human intervention, and provide for mutual communication between company staff and also with suppliers, customers and business partners. The components of a computer integrated company are networked personal computers, a standard user interface, electronic data interchange and data integration, overlying unified communications, a technical architecture, and data processing and management integration. All these areas will require investment which Ovum estimates at 3% per year, and as mainstream companies catch up with market leaders there will be an additional 5% plus 3% from general economic growth. The report organisation interviewed 20 companies including American Airlines, Rolls-Royce and Sainsburys, and claims that all are moving towards computer integration. Computer hardware will have a smaller market share, down to 27% from 33%, but software, data communications and services will rise sharply. The report costs UKP440 and is available from London-based Ovum.
