PDM market up 22% in 1997

Look for 18% growth in the product data management market by the year 2002, according to results from a CIMdata (Ann Arbor, MI) study. The study reports that the PDM market jumped 22% in 1997 to $1.1 billion, will top $1.3 billion next year and will exceed $2.5 billion by 2002. Top performers in the market for 1997 were (in order)

Metaphase (Arden Hills, MN), IBM (Armonk, NY), EDS' Unigraphics (Maryland Heights, MO) division, and Documentum (Pleasanton, CA). An ERP vendor (Baan) cracked the top ten for the first time, indicating that ERP suppliers continue to move towards the PDM space. Market growth in 1997 was driven by large manufacturing firms, particularly aerospace, automotive and electronics companies. North America holds a 45% market share for the PDM market, followed by Europe (39%) and the Asia-Pacific region (16%). The weakness of Asian markets will have an adverse impact on PDM revenues, predicts Patrice Romzick, manager of CIMdata's PDM Market Service, but "PDM projects will stay on the list of approved capital investments that companies make," due to competitive reasons.