Worldwide supply chain management (SCM) software revenue totaled $6.2bn in 2009, a 0.7 percent decline from 2008 revenue, according to Gartner Inc. New license revenue was down 7.4 percent in 2009, while recurring revenue associated with subscriptions and maintenance were the "life vest" of the market, growing 10.8 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.
"Despite the slight dip in overall revenue, the market for supply chain applications seems to have largely weathered the recent financial storms," said Chad Eschinger, research director at Gartner. "Although the first nine months of 2009 contracted, the fourth quarter sustained 6 percent annual growth, driven by some pent-up demand, but more so from growth in subscriptions and the many maintenance renewals that were due in the fourth quarter."
New software sales were difficult to obtain in 2009, and vendors that have succeeded have transitioned part or all of their business toward subscription delivery of their solutions. This was evident within the top six vendors, where Ariba generated positive growth, but also where Oracle, with more of a best-of-breed approach, also generated slight growth. The remaining four market share leaders all experienced a decline in SCM software revenue in 2009.
