In reviewing the market, the study found that there is a considerable segmentation with overlapping services and markets provided by the leading competitors. Similarly, enterprises imply massive volume, but they may be neophytes to the web and need a lot of help and focus to solve these problems. So, the web-application needs of companies in the middle may exceed those at either end. As developers race to establish mindshare in the web-application market, the race for differentiation intensifies. The growth of this market segment has been geometric.
Competition is fierce as new consumer demands overtake new server capabilities.
A number of issues, which are discussed in greater detail in the body of the report, dominate the competition. Key issues will be the development of viable XML solutions and schemas that solve interoperability business problems. Of greater significance is the need to protect corporate data from a knowledge-hungry public. Note on How the Study Was Conducted This study updates an earlier DHBA report on this subject. DHBA places special emphasis on the criteria underlying information-technology decisions.