4
Market by Geography
Geographically, North America continues to be the largest market region for CTRM software solutions, with a mature
commodity trading market, particularly in power, natural gas, oil, coal, agricultural products and metals. While there
continues to be a number of companies that maintain non-vendor systems, a large majority of the market for CTRM
technology in North America is serviced by vendor-supplied and supported solutions.
Europe has also a mature market in commodity trading, though less than North America in terms of natural gas and
power. Western Europe, particularly the UK and Germany have established liquid markets for gas and power trading
and are relatively penetrated by commercial CTRM solutions. Eastern Europe is a rapidly emerging energy trading
market, though without full and consistent liberalization across the continent, the markets in individual countries
are relatively isolated in terms of trading activities and business practices. Given the relatively small size of these
markets, this localization has limited the adoption of vendor-supported CTRM applications as few vendors have been
willing or able to make the necessary investments in developing capabilities to address the unique local
requirements in each country; therefore, bespoke or internally developed CTRM is more common in the region.
Elsewhere in Europe, established global trading centers in other commodities, particularly in the UK, Switzerland,
and the Netherlands have a long history in trading
agricultural products, softs, and oil; and penetration
2012 CTRM Market Share by Geography
by commercially supported CTRM systems is
relatively high.
4%
14%
The Asia-Pacific region, driven by high demand for
45%
commodities to meet rapidly expanding economies
has become an increasingly active market for CTRM
vendors, particularly those for managing oil and oil
34%
products, agriculturals, softs and industrial metals
and ores. Within the last several years, CTRM
3%
vendors have found success selling products into
North America
South America
Europe
Middle East & Africa
the Singapore and Hong Kong markets, with
Asia/Pacific
national oil companies and large metals and
agricultural trading companies being particularly active buyers of vendor systems. However, given cultural and
language differences outside of the major trading centers in the region, western-oriented CTRM vendors have had
difficulties selling th