Analyst Insight: In the past, collaboration technology has been a separate software segment encompassing web conferencing and document sharing. But technology providers are now blending these solutions with business applications such as logistics, forecasting and product design, creating a more natural user experience. After all, collaboration is about the business and the people. Collaboration is also a catalyst for other technology sectors such as cloud, mobile and network infrastructure. - Ann Grackin, CEO, ChainLink Research

Analyst Insight: Warehouse management system vendors have used the slower market demand of 2009 and 2010 to invest in improved architecture and functionality. Today, the WMS market has seen a robust return in upgrades and new solution selections. Leading WMS application providers - from integrated ERP solutions to best-of-breed suite applications - all tout upgrades in architecture, new user interfaces and robust operational support. - Kevin Hume, principal, Tompkins International

Analyst Insight: In recent years, Software as a Service and hosted solutions have made some significant in-roads in the supply chain application space, but their success has been somewhat limited. Continuing IT budget and resource constraints are causing many firms to take a serious look at on-demand supply chain applications. And software vendors have responded by increasing the number and variety of services provided. This mixture is expanding the horizon of on-demand supply chain IT solutions. - Tom Singer, principal, Tompkins International