This segment includes AD and application integration and middleware (AIM) software, information management software, storage management software, IT operations management and security software, and other infrastructure software.

 Application development and AIM software services — The AD software market comprises tools that represent each phase of the software development life cycle (application life cycle management (ALM), design, construction, automated software quality and other AD software). The Application Infrastructure and Middleware market segment includes business process management (BPM)-enabling technologies, integration-enabling middleware, platform middleware, portals and Web 2.0 infrastructure, and various additional products grouped together as “other AIM.” Integration-enabling middleware is software that enables independently designed applications, software components or services to work together, by supporting data consistency, composite application and multi-step process styles of integration.

 Information management software services — This software market is defined by Data Management and Integration software and includes Data Integration Tools, Data Quality Tools and Database Management Systems. The discipline of data integration comprises the practices, architectural techniques and tools for achieving the consistent access and delivery of data across the spectrum of data subject areas and data structure types in the enterprise to meet the data consumption requirements of all applications and business processes. Traditionally aligned with cleansing of customer data (names and addresses) in support of CRM-related activities, the tools have expanded well beyond such capabilities, and forward-thinking organizations are recognizing the relevance of these tools in other data domains. A database management system (DBMS) is a product used for the storage and organization of data that typically has defined formats and structures. DBMSs are categorized by their basic structures and, to some extent, by their use or deployment.

 Storage management software services — The storage management software market includes all software products that are sold as value-added options to run on a server, storage network device or storage device to aid in managing the device or managing and protecting the data. Storage management software represents all the tools needed to manage capacity, performance and availability of data stored on disks, tapes and optical devices, as well as the networking devices that the data may pass through.

 IT operations management and security software services — IT operations management (ITOM) software is intended to represent all the tools needed to manage the provisioning, capacity, performance and availability of the computing, networking and application environment. Security software is included to control and monitor access to internal and external IT resources.

 Other infrastructure software services — Other infrastructure software includes, but is not limited to, clustering and remote control software, directory servers, OS tools, Java license fees, mainframe infrastructure, and mobile and wireless infrastructure, as well as other infrastructure software.

 Operating system software — An OS is software that, after being loaded into the computer by an initial boot program, manages a computer’s resources, controlling the flow of information into and from a main processor. OSs perform complex tasks, such as memory management, control of displays and other input/output peripheral devices, networking and file management, and other resource allocation functions between software and system components. The OS provides the foundation on which applications, middleware and other infrastructure components function. OS usually provides user interfaces, such as command-line shell and GUI, for interaction between user and computer. The four most common subcategories of operating systems include Linux, Unix, Windows and mainframe OS.