IBM has announced that industry analyst firm International Data Corporation (IDC) has ranked it the worldwide leader in the middleware software market.

According to IDC, IBM was the leading worldwide application deployment software vendor with 31.9 percent market share based on revenue, nearly double that of its closest competitor.  The study revealed that IBM's middleware business grew 4.7 percent year over year, more than double the rate of the overall market, which grew at 2.2 percent to more than $14.8 billion.

This marks the tenth consecutive year that IDC has named IBM as the market share leader in the worldwide application deployment software market.

Besides its overall lead, according to IDC, IBM holds the number one market share position in key submarkets -- Application Server Software Platforms and Integration and Process Automation Middleware -- where investments by companies in their software infrastructures are growing faster then the overall IT market.  

For example, the Process Automation Middleware segment grew at 4.8 percent in 2009. IBM was named the number one vendor in Process Automation Middleware with a 16 percent share and growing at more than 16.5 percent in 2009. Process automation software enables companies to remove costly inefficiencies, boost productivity, ensure compliance and manage processes more effectively

According to IDC, IBM continued to lead in other fast-growing areas including Enterprise Service Bus/Connectivity, Event Driven Middleware and Other Application Server Middleware.   In addition, Lombardi Software, which was acquired by IBM last year, was recognized by IDC for its growth and innovations.  

The IDC study, Worldwide Application Deployment Software 2009 Vendor Shares (IDC #223504) examines the application deployment software market and submarkets for 2005–2009.

For more information on IBM middleware visit: http://www.ibm.com/software/websphere