Sunday, January 13, 2008

Buyer Beware with Analyst Research

It is no secret industry analyst firms continue to be influential in the market. A positive review in a report or good standing on a Gartner magic quadrant can propel a company's sales and partnership programs, while contributing to corporate valuation.

Yet, it's also acknowledged that much of the research produced by analyst firms is influenced by the sponsoring vendor(s).

I wonder if this is the case with Forrester's report on the anticipated impact of virtual worlds like Second Life on business collaboration and operations.

Virtual worlds will soon be as important as Web to companies http://cwflyris.computerworld.com/t/2611318/408925/93897/2/

My take: analyst research remains valuable and a great source of intelligence. Yet, it should just be one of the factors a prospect, potential partner or investor considers when evaluating a vendor. In other words -- buyer beware.

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