Prague, May 17, 2006 -- IDC CEE's Business Intelligence Roadshow is coming to Kiev to create a forum for examining how organizations use information resources to improve decision making and strategic development. The conference also aims to broaden awareness about how linking isolated systems and islands of data can sharpen company processes, making them conducive to future local and international partnerships. Joining IDC will be industry experts, BI veterans, a government IT development director, and representatives from IDC partners Cognos, Tern, Citia Business & Technology Consulting, IBM, and Kvazar Micro.

IDC regularly organizes Business Intelligence conferences across Europe but this is IDC’s first ever conference in Ukraine. It coincides with the establishment of a local research presence in Kiev in 2005. “Ukraine is a key area of investment for IDC this year and it is our intention to help international and regional suppliers develop this high-potential market,” says Robert Farish, Regional Director for CIS Countries at IDC.

According to IDC, the key trends driving the need for BI across Central and Eastern Europe have started crossing the Ukrainian border. The most apparent is the huge volume of data flooding into organizations, with telecommunications and utilities providers already handling millions of accounts. Meanwhile medium to large enterprises often employ or plan to employ multiple unconnected databases that can be extensions of larger disparate IT systems. Moreover, applications are frequently installed to meet single needs without a systematic plan for integration with other applications, databases, or storage solutions.

"The flood of information is only going to grow as the changes of the last few months take hold," says Tom Vavra, IDC CEMA's Program Manager for Software Markets. "It won't be enough to simply add databases or computer systems. To stay competitive in the new business environment and adapt to the new types of relationships that are likely to form, Ukrainian business will need to implement IT solutions that create sound and transparent business processes. In doing this, Ukrainian organizations have a real opportunity to learn from the successes and setbacks of similar organizations further west by implementing intelligent systems with proven effectiveness."

Which is why IDC is bringing its BI road show to Kiev. It focuses on how to obtain the best business value and competitive edge from modern information management solutions. Through presentations on the latest innovation and product developments, conference attendees will not only learn about issues such as the available technology, but also how the implementation of these technologies can benefit their businesses. The agenda includes:

-- data as a strategic business tool
-- performance management best practices
-- data integration and BI at the corporate level
-- BI solutions for vertical sectors
-- BI as a key enabler of e-government
-- practical BI in telecommunications

Business Intelligence can help a company draw on its information resources to become a proactive and efficient organization that better satisfies the expectations and requirements of external partners and customers while also improving internal processes. In this respect, the IDC BI Roadshow is ideally suited to:

-- CIOs, CEOs, CTO, CFOs
-- BI, DW, KM, amd MIS managers
-- IT directors and managers
-- purchasing managers
-- IT planners and strategists

For more information about attending the road show as a user, partner, or member of the media, please contact Dana Dobrovodska at +420 221 423 140 or by email at ddobrovodska@idc.com, or Volodymyr Dyachenko, PRP Ukraine, at + 380 44 495 2960 or by email at vdyachenko@prp.com.ua . You can also visit our web site at www.idc-cema.com for more information.

IDC Provides Global Research with Local Content
IDC is the premier global market intelligence and advisory firm in the information technology and telecommunications industries. We analyze and predict technology trends so that our clients can make strategic, fact-based decisions on IT purchases and business strategy. More than 775 IDC analysts in 50 countries provide local expertise and insights on technology markets. Business executives and IT managers have relied for more than 40 years on our advice to make decisions that contribute to the success of their organizations.

IDC – 15 Years in Central and Eastern Europe
Since 1990 IDC has been delivering essential intelligence about the ICT markets of Central and Eastern Europe. From a single person in a small office, we've grown into the region's leading IT market research, events, and consulting firm, with 70 analysts working in ten CEE countries.

For Central and Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa, IDC maintains a coordinated network of offices in 15 countries with regional research centers in Prague, Istanbul, and Dubai. Customers include a wide range of ICT hardware, software, and services suppliers, governments, and members of the financial community.