To Sell Groupware In Europe, Vendors Must Closely Match Solution With End-User Needs

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor, July 26, 1999

Organizations across Europe are rapidly deploying groupware and messaging solutions to support their business needs. The total installed groupware user base in Europe is expected to expand at a 1997- 2003 compound annual growth rate of 21 percent, yet in many cases, companies find their deployment does not meet their expectations -- or the deployment costs more time and money than they had planned.

To ensure success with groupware, IT research firm International Data Corp. advises vendors that it is critical to match the needs and skills of users with a specific product. "There is no best product -- the key to a happy groupware deployment is making the right match with a solution that meets enterprise needs," says Rebecca Wettemann, senior analyst at IDC. "All applications have strengths and weaknesses, and what is the ideal deployment for one company can be a nightmare for another."

Lotus Notes, for example, was found by IDC to be an excellent architecture for building customized groupware applications. Siemens AG EC and Deutsche Bank, profiled in a new IDC report, invested significantly in customizing Notes to meet their needs, and each got exactly what it wanted from groupware, says Wettemann. For the Netscape customers profiled, platform independence and low-cost administration were key success factors. "The value of integrated directory services in managing mobile and numerous users is clear in both cases, as is Netscape's intranet publishing strengths," IDC says.

The report, The Best of European Groupware Deployments: User Case Profiles (IDC #B18338), examines 14 European organizations using groupware. For more information, visit www.idc.com.