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October 30, 2002

2002 Readers' Choice Awards

The readers have voted for their favorite software packages, tools, and platforms

by Jeanette Burriesci, Senior Editor

The readers of Intelligent Enterprise have once again hoisted IBM on their shoulders, making it the runaway favorite as winner of seven categories in the 2002 Readers' Choice Awards. Microsoft regained some ground lost last year to niche players, picking up three categories this time around.

Microsoft notably won the favorite operating system category for Windows 2000. The lead was large, and if you exclude Linux from the composite Unix vote, Windows 2000 and NT together beat Unix. However, it's important to note that Linux was a strong second place winner this year, after steadily climbing in popularity over the last several years.

Perhaps Microsoft showed so well because of its free inclusion of Analysis Services in SQL Server. This widely distributed analytic server made first place this year among the readers. Is it because it's so easy for you to get your hands on, or because it's so easy to use? Write me and let me know.

The landslide winners this year, with at least 100 percent more votes than the closest followers, were Cognos Visualizer, IBM WebSphere, Computer Associates' ERwin, IBM WebSphere Commerce, and i2 SCM.

Products that made close seconds to the category winners were NetIQ WebTrends Reporting Center (Clickstream Analysis Tools), BEA WebLogic Portal and Computer Associates' CleverPath Portal (tied for second place, Enterprise Portal Applications and Platforms), and PeopleSoft Applications (ERP Application Suites).

There are too many repeat winners to mention, but only three have clinched a category four years straight: Data Junction for Data Movement and Transformation Tools, EMC for Enterprise Storage Management, and Ralph Kimball for Best Intelligent Enterprise Columnist. Use the "View Content" pull-down menu on our home page to view by author and see an index of all Kimball's Intelligent Enterprise columns.

In a new category, we asked what was the most important new technology for the intelligent enterprise. Your response: real-time data/application integration middleware. You'll find a lot of content on our Web site about this topic by performing a site search or by browsing our Data Integration Information Center and IntelligentEAI Community. (Look in the far left column of our home page for these links.)

We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions about our Readers' Choice Awards. Write me at jburriesci@cmp.com.