IT Portfolio Management Adoption Rate Continues to Climb, According to META Group: IT Budget Priority Setting to Be Focus at METAmorphosis PLUS! May 14-16

Business Wire, April 25, 2002

Business & Technology Editors

METAmorphosis PLUS!

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2002

META Group

New Technology Showcase Will Provide "First Look" at Top

Technology Solutions; 2002 IT Staffing and Compensation Guide,

METAspectrum(SM) Market Evaluations to Be Unveiled

In a recent META Group (Nasdaq: METG) survey of senior IT executives, 88 % of respondents indicated they will either adopt or consider adopting some form of IT portfolio management in 2002.

In the past year, META Group has advised many of its Global 2000 clients to adopt an IT portfolio management approach, and many are seeing this tactic pay off as companies learn to better manage their IT assets, and balance risk and ROI. The importance of IT budget prioritization will be the focus of the new METAmorphosis PLUS! Conference & Technology Showcase in Chicago, May 14-16.

This premier IT and business event will feature META Group's leading analysts, management team, and consultants all under one roof, offering critical insights and best practices on the most challenging issues facing IT and business managers -- IT portfolio management, ROI measurement, CRM (customer relationship management), security, infrastructure, and HCM (human capital management) -- among others.

"Balancing the immediate need for IT cost reduction and appropriate strategic investments -- and prioritizing business objectives and IT investments -- is no easy task," says Dale Kutnick, META Group chairman, CEO, and co-research director. "The 88% planned adoption rate shows IT portfolio management is helping many budget leaders recalibrate their IT budgets for their most pressing projects. METAmorphosis PLUS! presentations will show how customizing IT portfolio management can also benefit various groups across the organization."

The concept of IT portfolio management and ways to apply it throughout the IT organization will be discussed in great depth in various presentations:

   -  Supporting the organization's business model by tuning up the
      application portfolio and applying portfolio management, ROI,
      and risk analysis principles to front- and back-office
      applications

   -  Managing the human capital portfolio by optimizing skills across
      the portfolio of IT assets, including external skills of
      suppliers and vendors

For the first time, META Group's flagship conference will also provide attendees the opportunity to meet with leading technology product and service vendors, in addition to featuring in-depth presentations from the company's top executives and analysts. More than 30 leading IT vendors will be on-site, offering attendees a first glimpse at their latest product announcements.

News From the Conference Floor

Maria Schafer, program director of HCM at META Group, will be on hand to discuss findings from the 2002 IT Staffing and Compensation Guide, which will be launched on-site. "Even in a down economy, when CIOs are in survival (not growth) mode, companies still have to invest in key implementations and keep their workers ahead of the skills as technology changes, because some competitors may still be spending," says Schafer. "Companies need to take an IT portfolio management approach to HCM and map out the needs of the business and the IT organization to better understand where the demand will be."

Also at METAmorphosis PLUS!, key findings from META Group's latest METAspectrum(SM) market evaluations will be released. METAspectrum evaluations are instrumental in helping companies make sense of vendor choices and avoid expensive mistakes. Complete results from the following markets will be presented:

   -  Energy Trading and Risk Management: Solutions for managing the
      risks related to energy trading and physical asset management

   -  Management Service Providers (MSP): Vendors that provide
      infrastructure and application management services to end-user
      organizations

   -  Computer Telephony Integration (CTI): Solutions that associate
      an application with an incoming service request, regardless of
      the media in which the request is received (e.g., chat, e-mail,
      Web collaboration)

Each evaluation highlights the leaders, challengers, and followers in their respective markets. Analysts who conducted this research will be on-site to answer questions regarding their findings and explain the impact these technology solutions are having on business operations.

Note: Members of the press interested in receiving complimentary registration for METAmorphosis PLUS! 2002 should contact Samantha Finnegan at (303) 346-3176 or samantha.finnegan@metagroup.com.

About META Group

META Group is a leading research and consulting firm, focusing on information technology and business transformation strategies. Delivering objective, consistent, and actionable guidance, META Group enables organizations to innovate more rapidly and effectively. Our unique collaborative models help clients succeed by building speed, agility, and value into their IT and business systems and processes. Connect with www.metagroup.com for more details.