For 2014, the worldwide software market is forecast to grow 5.9 per cent year over year in current U.S. dollars (USD). In constant USD the growth rate has been revised to 5.7 per cent, down from the 6.2 per cent year-over-year growth forecast in November 2013. IDC believes that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the 2013-2018 forecast period will remain close to 6 per cent. Structured data management software, collaborative applications and data access, analysis and delivery solutions are expected to show the strongest growth over the five-year forecast period with a CAGR near 9 per cent. In the enterprise applications category, customer relationship management, enterprise resource management, supply chain management, and operations and manufacturing applications will continue to show CAGR rates around 6 per cent. On a regional basis, the emerging economies will continue to experience stronger growth than the mature economies. The average 2013-2018 CAGR for Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan), Latin America, and Central Eastern, Middle East, and Africa (CEMA) is 8.5 per cent, while the average CAGR for the mature regions – North America, Western Europe, and Japan – is 5.9 per cent. Release
