This IDC Update is a summary of the key developments in the systems infrastructure software market during 1H08. This Update synthesizes the key events that characterized the systems infrastructure software market in the Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) or APEJ region. The key highlights include:

• Vendors continue to focus on expanding the breadth of their solutions via acquisitions and alliances, noticeably in the storage, server, and security software markets.
• Storage and server virtualization, as well as its management equivalent, and automation gain strong mindshare in datacenters as benefits in the form of cost saving and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) drive the market.
• Consolidation of security markets present competitive challenges for vendors, but the solution selling approach has proved to be successful in addressing the organization's security issues as evidenced by an increase in both the number and size of larger transactions sold to customers.