The success of a product is ultimately proved out by customer adoption. For some reason, MDM is an area where poor market perception has severly limited its progress. Shifting strategies by Oracle, IBM, and SAP have stunted this emerging market. It's caused concern over whether MDM is a viable opportunity, whether any vendors have a complete solution, and whether customers really want it. Well, I can tell you, customers definitely want it. Webinars on the MDM topic is consistently sold out. The pipleline for MDM is jam-packed, across several industries. Yet, it is that bias against MDM as the red-haired stepchild after several initial stumblings in product direction (mistakes committed by SAP and Oracle alike) that continues to stunt MDM growth.
Like I said, ultimately it depends on the customers. Today, SAP has more than forty customers live and more than thirty references. If that doesn't say "good product" with a solid future, I don't know what does. Only IBM may have more customers through acquisitions and service engagements.
3 comments:
SAP, Oracle and IBM may have developed useful software to solve MDM type problems but only one major software vendor can solve the problem reasonable across enterprise wide information systems. My current work with i2 Studio and Informatica will allow for accurate and corporate-wide ( ie. ERP) data sharing.
Customers packing the aisles for MDM briefings only indicates that they have bought what the MDM folks are selling. It does not mean that MDM is a successful, valuable strategy.
Look at the throngs who ate up UML, but who is using a full use case -> sequence diagram -> function model methodology these days?
Is there a long list of happy, productive RUP shops?
Compare to things like relational databases, transactional reporting, etc. - ubiquitous value producing technologies.
I'm also reluctant to view an implementation as "successful" until it's been in use and sustained by the customer for a few years. The case study written immediately after deployment may be tinged by "I spent all this money, and my boss is going to read this, so of course it was worth it!"
Maybe MDM is the next generation of Codd; maybe it isn't. Time will tell. :-)
MDM is a tough set of problems to solve. I don't think anyone should ever think of MDM as a strategy. MDM is a best practice and if you get it right, the rewards are there. I agree that just because folks are exhibiting interest, a market that does not make. But real business benefits are there. The challenge is that the approach to MDM differs so greatly from company to company that I think success is widely subjective. Like you said, only time will tell!
Post a Comment