Soft market continues for SIS software

New data from market research firm LISTedTECH confirms the cautious market that began in 2011 remains in play among vendors of student information system (SIS) software.

According to a joint news release from LISTedTECH CEO Justin Menard and Charlie Moran, senior partner and CEO with Moran Technology Consulting, the market shows soft demand for new SIS implementations, with growth concentrated at institutions with fewer than 10,000 students. Researchers also observed an uptick in demand for outcomes-based systems that accomplished more than data storage functions.

This year only about 40 school systems have deployed new systems versus 120 three years ago.

“While outside observers could view these data as a sign of a market in steep decline, we believe this is merely a market taking a pause,” the authors said. “The market seems to be holding off on major SIS commitments until new products and major revisions of existing products become viable.”

As vendors attempt to rush Cloud-based systems to market, the release said demand is rising for systems that support “stronger analytics to address strategic decision making.”

The release acknowledged that the mix of early adopters versus laggards affected implementation rates.

Moran Technology Consulting provides strategic planning in the field of information technology. Moran brings nearly four decades of information technology (IT) experience and is considered a thought-leader in IT strategic planning. LISTedTECH supports higher education clients with market research and analytics.