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Units of Stamford, Conn.-Based Information Tech Firm Develop New Products

Posted on: Thursday, 5 January 2006, 12:00 CST

By Richard Lee, The Stamford Advocate, Conn.

Jan. 5--Two units of Stamford-based Gartner Inc. are developing new products and enhancements for technology and service providers to capitalize on growth markets, including business process outsourcing. The new products provide clients with more flexibility in using and purchasing research, the information technology research and analysis firm said.

"We are targeting our products to better match how our customers want to buy," said Jackie Kahle, group vice president for Gartner Dataquest Worldwide, which worked closely with sister unit Gartner Industry Advisory Services.

"(Customers) are very excited about new growth opportunities and emerging markets, and see Gartner Dataquest as an essential component in helping them achieve their revenue growth objectives," Kahle said. Offered for banking, insurance, media, manufacturing, retail and energy and utilities industries, the new applications complement Gartner Dataquest's 14 existing industry products.

"Vendors who are developing and implementing growth strategies in specific industries need to understand their target market in great depth," Kahle said. "This means gaining insight into supply and demand, the market opportunities and competitive threats combined with client needs and buying intentions."

One new offering by Gartner Dataquest delivers global statistics and analysis on business process outsourcing to service providers focused on the BPO market, Kahle said. A new IT outsourcing product delivers research and analysis on traditional technology outsourcing. Gartner's BPO research team includes eight analysts, while nine analysts are involved in IT outsourcing.

Unisys, based in Blue Bell, Pa., is a BPO service provider that has had a long-standing relationship with Gartner and is a client, said Unisys spokesman Brian Daly. As a BPO provider, Unisys often uses Gartner as a consultant when responding to requests for proposals from its customers. "We're a service provider and keep in touch with (Gartner) frequently. Their reports are highly respected," Daly said.

A third offering provides research and market statistics for a fast-growing segment of the semiconductor industry called system-on-chip, which integrates electronic system components onto a single chip. It is used in MP3 players, digital cameras, mobile phones and other consumer electronics. "This new offering is a great example of how Gartner Dataquest is responding to changes in the semiconductor industry and providing new offerings which specifically target new market opportunities," Kahle said. Gartner also is introducing new quarterly statistical coverage of disk storage by geography, and is introducing Gartner Dataquest Markets Service, providing clients access to Gartner Dataquest research in all technology sectors, delivered by a business analyst.

The analyst assists in identifying research and facilitates access to information. The product is suited to clients that need flexibility in how they use research, Kahle said.

The goal, she said, is to help clients grow by using Gartner Dataquest research and analysts.

Gartner Dataquest products are used by hardware, services, software and investment companies around the world, including 87 percent of the technology-focused Fortune 100, and all top 30 investment banks and brokerage firms.

Companies in the IT consulting and research industry must periodically enhance their products and services to compete in a highly competitive marketplace, which includes another consulting giant, Forrester Research, said Daniel O'Sullivan, an analyst with Utendahl Capital Partners in New York City.

"The Coke and Pepsi of the industry are Gartner and Forrester," O'Sullivan said, noting that the industry has been marked by acquisitions in the past several years.

Gartner bought Stamford-based Meta Group in 2005, while Forrester acquired Giga Information Group in 2003.

"The industry is very cyclical. The driving force is based on corporate spending in the technology space," O'Sullivan said. "It's getting a little better."

Gartner serves more than 9,000 clients, including chief information officers and senior IT executives. Founded in 1979, Gartner has more than 1,200 research analysts and consultants in more than 75 countries.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Stamford Advocate, Conn.

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IT, UIS, KO, PEP,

Source: The Stamford Advocate, Stamford, Conn.

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