Microsoft Poised to Take the IT EPM Market

It's like the tortoise and the hare. For years, Microsoft has been evolving its low-cost MS/Project suite and capturing the IT market, while mega-EPM providers such as Mercury, Niku, and Planview focused on meeting enterprise portfolio needs.

Now things are about to change. As we reported a few weeks ago, Microsoft acquired UMT, a leading EPM consulting firm. This brought technology and expertise to enable Microsoft to release a truly enterprise-driven product. Since Microsoft still owns the IT market by a wide margin, this will no doubt steer IT organizations in this direction. Whether other industries follow suit remains to be seen.

Microsoft has code-named their new product Microsoft Office Project "12". It is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2006, so design work has been well underway.

For more details about what Project "12" will offer, see PMForum's news update...

PMFORUM, Connecting the World of Project Management PMFORUM Breaking News: MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES NEW INNOVATIONS IN ENTERPRISE PROJECT MANAGEMENT