In brief: Research house predicts ERP boom

NEWS The ERP (enterprise resource planning) software market will be worth $52m by 2002, according to Boston-based analysts, AMR Research. The figure represents 37 per cent growth over the next five years, and AMR insists the growth is not being propped up by Year 2000 compliance projects. The research house puts the rapid increase down to ERP's expansion out of its traditional manufacturing base into sectors like retail, utilities and healthcare. The company added that ERP fills a need in supply chain management, sales force automation, customer support and human resources. AMR predicts that SAP alone will do nearly $5m in business in 1998, $3m more than its nearest rival, Oracle Applications. According to the report Peoplesoft, Baan and JD Edwards round out the top five ERP vendors for 1998.