Predictions 2009: ePurchasing Market

The ePurchasing market — software solutions for eProcurement, eSourcing, contract life-cycle management (CLM), automated spend analysis, accounts payable electronic invoice presentment and payment (AP-EIPP), services procurement, supplier performance management, and supplier network services — will grow at a modest rate of 3% in 2009 to $3.5 billion as the global recession and credit market conditions pull down demand for licensed software products in general. We expect eProcurement products and the leading vendors that sell them like Oracle and SAP will be particularly vulnerable, and we project a decline in overall eProcurement revenues of 9%. eSourcing products will also be weak, although vendors with SaaS offerings will do better. On the positive side, automated spend analysis, CLM, services procurement, and AP-EIPP will grow at double-digit rates. Vendors that specialize in these products will do well in 2009 but will face more competition from potential acquisitions by other vendors that want to join in the strong growth.