Enterprise resource-planning (ERP) systems, relational databases, and other mature information technologies are undergoing commoditization and facing challenges from software-as-a-service (SaaS) players moving into front-end enterprise applications. Yet, such systems are likely to be around for a long time because they are reliable and have lengthy life cycles. That said, investing in disruptive markets and business models and exploring innovative technologies in high-performance computing, pervasive connectivity, Web services, and other trends will be vital if ERP vendors wish to survive well in the unfolding future.
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Paul Hofmann (2008) studied this question.
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