E-business integration and e-learning projects delivered the best return on investment (ROI) this year, with e-commerce and business-to-business (B2B) marketplaces, customer relationship management (CRM) and content management lagging behind, according to research.

The findings are based on thousands of ROI studies by Nucleus Research on behalf of companies such as BT and Lockheed Martin.

According to Nucleus, companies that implement e-learning systems for a modest five- or six-figure investment typically save money in reduced travel costs, human resources overheads and regulatory compliance.

And e-business integration projects, based on technology such as Microsoft BizTalk Server and BEA WebLogic Integration, allow companies to get more out of their existing IT infrastructures both through internal and B2B integration.

The study showed that the platforms reduce costs, increase performance and generate new revenue streams that translate into increased corporate earnings.

In contrast, companies that have invested in marketplaces to attract new partners, such as e-commerce and B2B marketplaces, have found limited returns and would have been better off investing in specific integration strategies with key partners, the report said.

Companies that invest in large CRM projects are unlikely to achieve a positive ROI, the report found, because consulting and software costs outweigh returns, and a long deployment process slows payback.