Industry analysts such as Gartner or Forrester are an important factor in IT. A new study by the analysts of Freeform Dynamics shows just how meaningful industry analysts really are for deciders in IT procurement. For the study the researchers interviewed the relevant target group on the IT news website “The Register" (http://www.theregister.co.uk/).

The question "Which analysts are relevant to your business?" of course can not be answered in general. In order to assess the importance of an analyst for your business first you need to be clear about what you want to achieve with your analyst Relations program.

If, for example, the rapid generation of analysts quotes for your marketing and PR is your main goal, other analysts will be important to you, as if you are aiming for an entry in popular reports such as the Gartner Magic Quadrant.

Analyst relations is an important instrument in the marketing and positioning of IT-companies. The relatively small group of analysts is an important factor in the IT industry. It is therefore important to take into account the specific characteristics of this target group. This series of blog posts will give you nine advices for dealing with analysts.

In most IT companies analyst relations belongs to the area of responsibility often associated with marketing and communication. The subject is well placed there. However, it is important that the fundamental differences between analyst relations and other marketing tasks are recognized.