As a CIO, you're always on the lookout for the right solution for your emerging technology needs. Your hunt stops now. Here's a complete dossier of solution providers that will help you implement IT effectively

• Profiles of over 1,100 solution providers

• Needs of an emerging e-enterprise

• Offerings in 14 market segments:
        Software Services
        Network Integration
        Packaged Software
        Technology Consulting
        Online Information Services
        Hosting and E-mail
        Storage
        Database Services
        Communications
        Datacenter Management
        IT Infrastructure Management   
        Multimedia and Gaming   
        E-governance   
        Security

Introduction 

Starting this year, we're introducing SAS Superguide in the four-volume DQ Top20 collection. The Superguide aims to benefit small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that want to augment their IT infrastructure. As the data covers services and solutions being offered by local players in different cities, we've excluded big players (say, Top 20) from the list because SMEs expect vendor proximity to get personalized services at economical rates. As local IT solution providers - who also operate as channel partners of their principals - can provide low-cost, frill-free solutions, they can satisfy the needs of smaller user organizations. Also, since the focus of this compilation is on solutions, pure hardware dealers have not been included. While this is an indicative list of vendors in different solutions segments, there could be more vendors for which we didn't have the data. So users are advised to explore more sourcing options before buying a solution. And Dataquest doesn't recommend the name of any particular vendor included in the Superguide. The data was collected through primary and secondary research methodologies.

Picture this

• In today's always-on marketplace, round-the-clock information flow has become the lifeblood for business growth.
• The automated electronic systems that provide interaction interfaces to the geographically dispersed clientele and business partners need to be functional all the time even when the enterprises are not working.
• Now it's essential for companies to ensure constant connectivity between their people and business processes.
• The information exchange is supposed to be secure, flawless, and quick to pull off competitive gains.
• The technology should have a perfect alignment with business objectives.
• Companies need to deploy robust tech paraphernalia to combat market vulnerabilities.

So, technology implementation has become an imperative to survive in the ruthless business arena. And the necessity to leverage technology for business agility and enhanced profitability is forcing user organizations to embrace cutting-edge services and solutions. As vendors should be ready to satisfy the emerging needs, here's an array of advanced tech solutions that an ideal enterprise can use.

Computing-on-demand
Termed as utility computing, this is a business model used by service providers to offer their systems resources based on usage - like consumers pay power companies for electricity consumption. Helps user organizations save capital costs.

Disaster Recovery (DR)
For the information-driven business growth, it's essential for companies to protect information from all types of threats - from natural disasters to IT infrastructure breakdown. A foolproof DR plan can help companies save information and achieve business continuity.

Information Lifecycle Management (ILM)
The concept is used to allocate storage infrastructure to information based on its business value. It enables users to save costs and simplify information management during its entire lifecycle - from the time of information creation to extinction.

Mobility
To provide anytime, anywhere information access including remote login facility to traveling executives of an organization. The solutions comprise wireless connectivity options.

Next Generation Networks (NGNs)
For data, voice, and video communications. The IP-based NGNs ensure higher Quality of Service (QoS), information security, and efficient traffic management.

Remote Infrastructure Management
It enables users to outsource their IT infrastructure management tasks to external service providers who manage their customers' resources from remote locations. User enterprises can focus on their core business areas.

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)
To organize IT resources around services rather than around applications. As SOA involves reusable software components that form the building blocks for an application, it helps companies quickly streamline their business processes to meet changing information-based customer expectations.

Virtualization
For optimum utilization of resources - mainly computing power and storage gear. Using abstraction techniques, it allows users to manage applications with fewer systems, ensuring cost advantage and simplified administration. 

Web Communications
To ensure more Web-based interactive collaboration among employees, partners, customers, and other stakeholders in a company. The communications include Webinars (Web-based seminars), Web meetings, Web-based training, and so on.

Web Services
Organizations trying to consolidate their e-business activities use Web services to deliver different applications over heterogeneous platforms. Using common communication standards, Web services provide interoperability across diverse systems.

As the tech market transformation is a nonstop phenomenon, more solutions will keep pouring in. Buyers can select the right ones for their needs. And vendors have to satisfy those specific needs to avert the scene in which they sell dog food to cat owners.

Rakesh Raman
rakeshra@cybermedia.co.in

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