AMR Research Outlook Reports Focus on E-Business Trends and Applications in the New Millennium.

E-Business and Improved Customer Links

Are Vital to a Company's Survival and Success in the E-Business World

BOSTON, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- AMR Research, Inc., a leading industry and market analysis firm specializing in e-business strategy and infrastructure, announces the availability of upcoming Outlook reports in the enterprise applications, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), manufacturing, e-commerce, retail and utilities markets. The reports will provide the firm's perspective on the business strategies companies will need to focus on to increase leadership position and succeed in the E-Business world. In addition, the reports, to be published later this month, outline AMR Research's analysis and focus of future articles, exploring the intricacies and future of leading software applications.

"Companies looking for successful E-Business implementations must incorporate the fundamentals of planning, coordination, and business intelligence. The goal of the Outlook reports is to identify the issues that will shape the market for E-Business technology and services," said John Bermudez, group vice president, Research Operations. "We will analyze and evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, and trends surrounding the leading E- Business applications."

New Trends

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and SCM systems provide the foundation for leading software vendors to focus on adding Business-to-Business (B2B) and CRM applications. The explosion of E-Business and the importance of implementing a customer-centric approach is driving growth within the expanding Enterprise Applications market. Companies are beginning to realize the necessity of bringing customers, suppliers and partners together, and are shifting spending patterns to applications that improve these vital links.

AMR Research expects Independent Trading Exchanges (ITEs) to play a major role in revolutionizing the way businesses interact. ITEs are helping companies bring buyers and suppliers together within a common vertical industry by managing channel relationships more efficiently, and helping to facilitate the real-time transfer of information, money, and goods. Companies will need to address the role and integration of different trading hubs within their E-Business strategy. They will also need to leverage the Internet effectively to communicate with their partners and focus on utilizing technology to improve their e-fulfillment needs and supply chain performance.

AMR Research Focus

AMR Research's analyst teams are well versed in the new Internet products and vendors, and understand the relationship to older applications and technologies, which are part of many companies' current IT environments.

AMR Research realizes that companies need to carefully assess the impact of new e-applications and Internet commerce services on current IT environment and their overall business. AMR Research's analyst teams are committed to providing the latest coverage of the functionality, technology, compatibility, and viability, of the product within the major application categories.

Conclusion

AMR Research's Outlook reports will provide a framework for the research and analysis in the upcoming year. The firm will explore pertinent issues facing companies in 2000 and provide insight, analysis, and independent advice on market trends and cutting-edge software applications within the enterprise applications, SCM, CRM, manufacturing, E-commerce, retail and utilities markets. The research and analysis will provide companies with the competitive knowledge needed to survive within the next millennium.

     CONTACT:   Janelle Carlino             Sarah Nelson                AMR Research, Inc.          The Horn Group                617-574-5217                781-356-7135                jcarlino@amrresearch.com    snelson@horngroup.com      About AMR Research 

AMR Research is the preeminent industry and market analysis firm providing independent advice on e-business strategy and infrastructure including enterprise and e-commerce applications and technology architecture. By tracking more than 2,000 leading software and service providers, AMR Research helps companies evaluate, select, and manage new systems for every part of the enterprise, including logistics and supply chain management, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and electronic/internet commerce.