Business Intelligence (BI) Software to Have Greatest Impact on Business Over the Next 2-5 Years

BOSTON, MA, Jul 14 (MARKET WIRE) --
Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), announced the release
of its "The 2009 State of the Market: Mid-Year Insights Report" which
found that as companies look forward, Business Intelligence (BI)
applications are expected to have the highest impact on organizations
over the next two to five years.

Aberdeen's recent research reveals that leading companies have established
BI strategies that include the integration of BI within existing
enterprise applications such as ERP and CRM solutions. Therefore it is
not surprising to see that enterprise application enhancements/extensions
rate as the 2nd most important technology when it comes to future impact
on the business. In fact, further research reveals that BI is, in fact,
the most predominant extension/module planned for ERP systems.

The report also finds that the expected growth of BI use within responding
companies is being driven by several business initiatives, including
sustainability/green performance tracking, field marketing and promotions
tracking, and customer service/relations. This focus has been driven by
the shift in BI project focus from an emphasis on long-range strategic
trending and planning, to more tactical/operational applications within
specific business units.

Results demonstrate that companies are also measuring the ROI achieved on
their BI investments. 42% of all respondents selected "sales performance
metrics" as the top measure used to determine ROI of BI investments,
followed by "cost savings metrics," "customer performance metrics," and
"process efficiency metrics."

"One in four respondents identified business intelligence/analytics as the
software technology with the most pronounced effect on the business in
2009," states David Hatch, Vice President, Technology Research at Aberdeen
Group. "Companies are finding that BI has many uses within the
organization, but the barriers to success lie in the ability to make
access and use pervasive. The top performers are focusing efforts on
creating a self-service approach to BI that enables non-technical workers
to obtain information and analytic capabilities without burdening the IT
staff."

About The 2009 Aberdeen Report State of the Market: Mid-Year Insights:

Each section of the report is designed to serve two purposes: 1) educate
the CEO on key trends, initiatives and developments; and 2) provide
guidance to functional leaders as they encounter new challenges, embrace
new opportunities and adapt to the changing economic environment,
providing executive teams with a roadmap to navigate through uncertain
times. A copy of the report can be obtained at:
http://resources.aberdeen.com/2009AberdeenReport

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that
delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies
in the past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate users to action:
driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering
meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the
global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen for insights that
drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in
context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's
analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of
Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement -
Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role
Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit
Aberdeen or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call
(800) 456-9748.

Copyright 2009 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
451 D Street, Suite 710
Boston, Massachusetts 02210-1928
Telephone: (617) 854-5200
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com

Media Contact:
Tracey Jones
Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(925) 264-1838
tracey.jones @aberdeen.com

Copyright 2009, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

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