Testing and Metrics Key to Business Value of Service-Oriented Architectures (SOAs)

Market Wire, March, 2008

According to a new study from Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS) comprehensive, consistent and proactive performance measurement and testing best maximize the business value of service-oriented architecture (SOA) investments.

"Those companies that proactively and consistently test and measure performance of their SOAs -- that build performance concerns into their SOA strategies -- enjoy higher business performance from their SOAs, even as services multiply," said Michael Dortch, senior analyst, Aberdeen. "Among Best-in-Class companies identified by Aberdeen Group research, 100% reported improved performance of their SOAs and compliance with internal and external service level agreements (SLAs) during the past 12 months. Those Best-in-Class companies are also twice as likely as others to use SOA performance and analysis software and to manage deployed service performance proactively."

The new Aberdeen study found that 64% of Best-in-Class companies proactively manage the performance of deployed services. Further, 56% of Best-in-Class companies saw fewer than 25% of applications and services experience problems requiring support escalation. These and other findings underscore the direct connections linking effective testing and measurement strategies with SOA performance and ROI.

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: Fiorano Software, Inc. and Relativity Technologies, Inc. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4198 .

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen(TM) for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com .

© 2008 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
260 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110-3112
Telephone: (617) 723-7890
Fax: (617) 723-7897
 www.aberdeen.com 

Media Contact: Michael Dortch, Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (707) 576-7565 michael.dortch@aberdeen.com