E-Business
Software Market Continues on Strong Growth Till 2017-IDC
The worldwide business analytics software market is expected to grow at a 9.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2017, according to a new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC).
Demand for business analytics solutions, according to the forecast, will continue to be driven by the promise of better and faster decision-making and competitive advantage that results from the ability to analyze and act upon information in a timely manner.
“There is growing quantifiable evidence that data-driven decision making enabled by business analytics solutions provides a competitive difference,” said Dan Vesset , program vice president, Business Analytics at IDC. “This, along with broad interest in big data, has pushed the technology to the top of many executive agendas and ushered it into the mainstream market.”
In 2012, the worldwide business analytics software market grew 8.7% year over year with revenues reaching $34.9 billion.
This was significantly lower than the 15% year-over-year growth experienced in 2011, and is attributable to the macroeconomic issues plaguing the global economy and the weak performance of European markets.
Despite the slower growth, the business analytics software market outperformed the overall software market, which grew 3.6% year over year in 2012.
On a regional basis, the emerging regions of Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) and Latin America that showed the best performance in 2012, with 13.4% year-over-year growth each.
The recovering U.S. economy helped North America to keep pace with the emerging regions in 2012 with a 12.1% growth rate.
Latin America is forecast to have the highest growth rate through 2017 – a 12.4% CAGR – followed by North America with 10.9% and Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) with 10.5%.
Of the three primary segments of the business analytics software market, the data warehousing platform software segment experienced the fastest growth in 2012, growing 10.8% over the previous year.
The business intelligence and analytic tools segment and the performance management and analytic applications segment each grew 7.7% year over year in 2012. In this diverse and highly competitive market, the six largest vendors – Oracle, SAP, IBM, Microsoft, SAS, Teradata – accounted for 64% of worldwide revenues in 2012.
The IDC study, Worldwide Business Analytics Software 2013-2017 Forecast and 2012 Vendor Shares, examines the business analytics software market for the period from 2008 to 2017, with vendor revenue trends and market growth forecasts. Worldwide market sizing is provided for 2012, with trends from 2008. A five-year growth forecast for this market is shown for 2013-2017.
Revenue and market share of the leading vendors are provided for 2012, with trends from 2010.
The IDC Semiannual Business Analytics Software Tracker provides total market size and vendor share for the three primary business analytics software market segments as well as the 12 sub-segments.
Measurement for this Tracker is total software revenue, which includes license plus maintenance plus SaaS and other subscription revenue.
The Tracker covers up to 49 nations in total. Annual five-year market forecasts for this Tracker are updated semiannually and include five-year annual market projections. Forecasts are available at worldwide, regional, and country levels.
E-Business
Amazon CEO Says AI will Reduce Number of Workers Needed

Amazon’s management on Wednesday said that it expects that artificial intelligence software will reduce the number of office workers at the world’s largest online retailer.

Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon
“We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today and more people doing other types of jobs,” Andy Jassy, chief executive, Amazon wrote in an email to employees.
He said it was difficult to predict how the overall workforce will evolve, but in the next few years, it is expected that AI efficiency gains will lead to a reduction in the number of office workers.
According to earlier reports, Amazon employed around 1.5 million people worldwide, with approximately 350,000 office employees in various roles.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the company does not anticipate further large-scale layoffs, as seen in 2022 and 2023, in the near future.
Instead, it expects that vacant positions will not be refilled.
However, layoffs are not ruled out, according to sources familiar with the matter.
“Amazon is focusing on so-called AI agents, software capable of independently performing tasks. These agents could, for example, summarise information from the web and data sources, write software, translate languages and automate many time-consuming tasks,” Mr Jassy explained.
“Agents will be teammates that we can call on at various stages of our work,” he added, urging employees to experiment with AI whenever possible.
The impact of AI on the job market has been a concern for many years.
Recently, Spotify, the leader in music streaming, announced that teams requesting additional staff would first need to prove that AI could not perform the tasks.
The creators of the language-learning app Duolingo plan to gradually replace external workers with AI.
E-Business
BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

Dr Adebowale Adedokun, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to data protection in Nigeria.
He disclosed this in a statement at the weekend by Zira Nagga, head of Public Relations, BPP, following a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Adedokun stressed that data protection is vital to Nigeria’s economy and development, particularly in areas such as demography, health, education, and other key sectors.
He emphasised that no country should leave its data unprotected, as it plays a crucial role in future planning and national development.
“Data governs the world. It is essential to technological progress and must be protected for a country or business to be taken seriously,” he said.
Adedokun described the visit, aimed at fostering partnership on data policy implementation and protection, as timely and aligned with national goals.
He said the BPP would collaborate closely with the NDPC to boost data development, capacity building, and enhance the procurement system.
“The BPP will support compliance as part of the ‘Nigeria First’ Policy, although it is not a core procurement eligibility requirement,” he explained.
He suggested a hybrid training model to help build strong capacity in data protection, privacy awareness, and policy understanding.
According to him, a dynamic training approach will reduce logistics costs and improve public confidence in data safety and privacy.
Dr Vincent Olatunji, CEO, and national commissioner, NDPC, praised Adedokun and the BPP for supporting data protection initiatives.
He said the partnership supports President Bola Tinubu’s vision and will strengthen data privacy across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
“The collaboration will create awareness and train BPP staff to ensure a firm grasp of data protection principles and policies,” he stated.
Olatunji said the NDPC would establish a working group to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding beneficial to both institutions.
He added that President Tinubu signed the NDPC into law on 12 June 2023 to uphold citizens’ rights and protect national and business data.
Olatunji also noted that strict legal measures were in place to enforce data protection and ensure full compliance nationwide.
Both agencies agreed to form a team to sign the MoU and focus on capacity building and data management in procurement and beyond.
E-Business
FG Mulls Fibre Optic Layout to Bridge Internet Gaps

President Bola Tinubu said that his administration has initiated a project to install fibre optic cables across the country, aimed at enhancing the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
His plans were contained in a speech he delivered at a joint session of the National Assembly in commemoration of Democracy Day on Thursday, June 12.
He said the fibre optic layout is part of other projects being embarked on.
“In addition, we have embarked on an ambitious project to lay fibre optic cables across the nation, a transformative step toward bridging the digital divide and fostering greater connectivity.
“This initiative promises not only to enhance the speed and reliability of internet access but also to revolutionise how businesses operate, how students learn, and how communities stay connected,” Tinubu stated.
He maintained that by extending this critical infrastructure, his government is empowering entrepreneurs, enabling digital education, and providing the tools for our youth to compete in a globalised world.
In a most recent report on Internet connectivity, The ICIR pointed out how Nigeria has faced setbacks in its deployment of fibre optic cables and needs a transformation.
The challenges revolve around vandalism, inadequate coordination between road construction and telecom infrastructure, and varying right-of-way (RoW) charges across states.
Among industry experts, these issues impact network outages, increase repair costs, and hinder broadband expansion efforts.
It has also further threatened the digital economy, leading to slower Internet speeds, dropped calls, and unreliable connectivity among others.
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