Data migration is a subset of the data integration market. However, it is a very large subset. According to our research the market for data migration was significantly in excess of $5bn in 2007. In our eyes that makes data migration a valid sub-market in its own right, just as ETL is a submarket in its own right.

Historically, data migration has been accomplished using conventional data integration and data quality tools, or by means of hand coding. However, research undertaken by the Standish Group in 1999 found that more than 80% of data migration projects ran over time or budget. When Bloor Research conducted a survey on the same topic in 2007 we found that that figure had not changed. In other words, seven years of general-purpose enhancements to the tools available made no difference in the success rate of such projects.

One of the conclusions we can draw from this is that traditional tools, on their own, are not enough. We need data migration methodologies, we need experienced professionals, and we need special-purpose tools; or at least add-ons to conventional tools that have been specifically designed to support data migration.

However, the tools vendors (with some notable exceptions) have been relatively slow to recognise the importance of data migration and that it has specialised requirements over and above those that apply to data integration in general. As a result the data migration market is immature in terms of technology.

We could have included every data integration vendor in this Market Update. However, a Market Update on Data Integration Platforms is being published by Bloor Research alongside this one so we have here concentrated on those vendors that specialise in data migration, or have at least started to focus on data migration as a specialist sector.

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