BEA Systems Holds Lion’s Share

E-business infrastructure software firm, BEA Systems Inc. , today announced that research from industry analyst firm META Group,, shows that BEA’s WebLogic e-business platform holds the largest share of the market for deployed Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE).

The 37% share figure is almost 70% higher than BEA’s closest competitor IBM and its WebSphere application with 22%, while Oracle’s Application Server trailed with 11%. The results came from a META Group survey of over 200 IT decision-makers, focused specifically on managers and executives responsible for selecting and deploying J2EE applications servers.

The purpose of the survey was to determine which J2EE application servers are actually being used for deployed e-business applications. Additional research looked specifically at the use of J2EE application servers for applications using Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB), where market share figures for BEA were 52% compared with 14% for IBM and 6% for Oracle.

EJB deployments are important, says the META Group, because of their use for complex applications. They also provide the essential infrastructure for the business logic, transaction management and database access for enterprise applications.

“Many studies have attempted to measure application server market share using license revenue estimates and service revenue allocations, often providing an incomplete picture of the market,” says Tod Nielsen, senior vice-president, corporate product marketing and developer services for BEA.

He says The META Group’s findings have gone to the heart if the issue in identifying which application server is actually being deployed for important applications: “The findings show that the market is putting its trust in BEA,” he says.

However, Goldman Sachs believes the significance of the findings should not be overstated. A statement says that the META Group’s conclusions regarding both BEA’s overall position and lead among EJB users is understandable in light of WebLogic’s historic technical lead. But, it does not regard BEA’s lead versus IBM as necessarily meaningful as META’s analysis does not accommodate recent changes in competitive offerings.

“While looking at a small portion of the installed App Server base tells us something, it generates backward looking results. We care much more about new sales, where BEA’s lead is increasingly challenged by IBM and others,” the statement says.

Looking forward, Thomas Murphy, program director, Application Delivery Strategies for META Group, says the application server market will continue its consolidation around a select group of vendors that provide an e-business platform that provides a foundation for problem solving and offers growth and flexibility as an enterprise’s needs change.

“We believe application server functionality will rapidly extend beyond this platform to impact the entire e-business environment, as vendors attempt to differentiate themselves with enhanced capabilities and functionality,” he says.

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