Gartner is a well-known brand in the business world for offering important advice on IT, financial, legal, marketing, and communications, among other topics. Gideon Gartner founded the firm in 1979 in Stamford, Connecticut, and it began as a private corporation before becoming public a year later. Over the next three years, it transitioned from public to private and back to public. It does, however, have a few competitors, including:
#1. Forrester
- Founded: July, 1986
- Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Need to know
Forrester (https://www.forrester.com) was established in July 1983 by George Forrester Colony. “The Professional Automation Report,” the company’s first report, was released in November 1983. Forrester launched their first public offering of 2,300,000 shares in November 1996. The company launched a secondary public offering of 626,459 shares in February 2000. Forrester’s recent purchases include Fletcher Research, a British Internet research business, and Giga Information Group, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based information technology research and consulting organization.
Research, consultancy, and events are among the services provided by the organization. It provides services such as business technology, consumer and market research through its research centers across the world. Forrester, like Gartner, provides research and advisory services to its clients, identifying their needs, conducting a thorough market analysis, and presenting the findings in a well-documented format.
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#2. Nielsen
- Founded: August 24, 1923
- Headquarters: New York City, United States
Need to know
Nielsen (https://global.nielson.com) was founded in 1923 by Arthur C. Nielsen, Sr. The company was founded in the Netherlands and later bought by a group of private equity investors on May 24, 2006. In August 2015, Nielsen Holdings plc merged with Nielsen N.V., a Dutch public corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange, in a cross-border merger under the European Cross-Border Merger Directive, with Nielsen Holdings plc surviving.
Nielsen is a multinational measurement and analytics firm that specializes in fast-moving consumer products, consumer behavior, and the media. Nielsen’s Buy segment largely assists packaged goods businesses, retailers, and Wall Street analysts in determining what categories, brands, and items consumers are purchasing. While Gartner specializes in hard-core finance, Nielsen specializes in the media industry. However, both firms’ work methods are quite similar.
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#3. Evalueserve
- Founded: December 2000
- Headquarters: Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Need to know
Evalueserve (https://www.evalueserve.com) was established in 2000 by Dr. Alok Aggarwal and Marc Vollenweider with the objective of building a professional services firm across a range of specialist industries for clients worldwide. Since its start, the firm has developed from a pure regional cost-arbitrage service model to one that focuses on offshore research centers. Evalueserve struck a collaboration with Software AG, an enterprise software firm, in April 2015 as a consultant and value-added reseller, joining its fast-growing partner ecosystem. In June 2015, Evalueserve also announced a collaboration arrangement with Teradata, a software supplier. 6.55 percent of Gartner’s revenue comes from Evalueserve.
Evalueserve is a global professional services company that specializes in research, analytics, and data management for a variety of sectors and corporate operations. In the financial services, life sciences and healthcare, and different industrial and service industries, the organization serves Fortune 500 companies, professional services firms, and creative mid-size enterprises.
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#4. Alliance Data
- Founded: 1996
- Established: Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Need to know
Alliance Data (https://www.alliancedata.com) was established in 1996 by the Limited’s credit card bank operation, and J.C. Penney’s credit card processing unit. LoyaltyOne, formerly known as The Loyalty Group Canada, was purchased by Alliance Data for $250 million in August 1998. As a result of the deal, Alliance Data gained two key commercial assets as a result: Canada’s Air Miles Rewards Program and LoyaltyOne, the firm behind the popular Air Miles program. Alliance Data was acquired by The Blackstone Group, a private equity firm, in May 2007. The merger deal between Alliance Data and Blackstone Affiliates was canceled in April 2008.
Alliance Data captures and analyzes transaction-rich data to deliver loyalty and marketing services such as private label credit cards, coalition loyalty programs, and direct marketing. While Alliance Data does not compete directly with Gartner since their marketing niches are distinct, their essential operations are comparable. Because Gartner does not provide reward schemes, this makes Alliance Data a viable competitor.
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#5. eMarketer
- Founded: 1996
- Headquarters: Eleven Times Square, New York
Need to know
eMarketer (https://www.emarketer.com) was founded in 1996 by Geoff Ramsey. Axel Springer purchased 93 percent of the company as a subsidiary in June 2016 for $242 million. For about two decades, CMOs have relied on eMarketer as the most comprehensive source of information on how to succeed in the digital age, providing vetted and transparently sourced informations from sources distilled into forecasts, charts, and reports that provide insight into changing consumer behaviors. eMarketer’s revenue is roughly $31 million, which is less than that of Gartner.
To give a macro-level knowledge of digital trends in advertising, marketing, media, and commerce, the company curates, compares, and contextualizes data from global sources. A web-based client portal gives subscribers access to eMarketer’s data. Analysts, forecasters, and researchers use the database to generate industry reports, predictions, comparative estimates, infographics, articles, interviews, case studies, and videos.
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#6. International Data Group
- Founded: 1964
- Headquarters: Needham, Massachusetts, U.S.
Need to know
International Data Corporation (https://www.idg.com) was established in 1964 by Patrick Joseph McGovern. IDG Communications, which comprises the brands CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, Network World, PC World, Macworld, and TechHive, is a joint venture between International Data Corporation (IDC) and IDG Communications. The firm earned $154,996 in its third year. A small profit of $2,961 was made. When McGovern came up with the idea for Computerworld in 1967, he was considering dissolving the firm.
As the world’s premier technology media, data, and marketing services organization, IDC helps technology buyers and sellers create and enhance partnerships. To ensure high engagement, they provide high-quality content and experiences. As a result, they have developed a strong bond with their community based on trust. IDC and Gartner are similar in that they both provide research and consulting services, but to a broader range of industries.
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#7. Aberdeen Research
- Founded: 1988
- Headquarters: Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Need to know
Aberdeen (https://www.aberdeen.com) was established in 1988 to use enterprise data to help businesses make business decisions by using data governance. Since then, two separate companies have acquired Aberdeen: Harte Hanks in September 2006 and Halyard Capital in April 2015. The firm used to supply B2B marketers and sales teams with technology sector data and predictive analytics, but as of 2018, it now delivers customized intent data for marketing and sales. Aberdeen purchased The Big Willow, a supplier of intent data, in December 2018. The Big Willow collects information by tracking 3.7 billion device IDs across more than 12 billion web pages.
Aberdeen has findings in the following industries: Business Intelligence, Customer Experience Management, Financial Management, Governance Risk and Compliance, Human Capital Management, Information Security, Manufacturing and Engineering, IT Infrastructure, and Supply Chain Management are among the industries for which Aberdeen has findings.
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#8. G2 Crowd
- Founded: 2012
- Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Need to know
G2 Crowd (https://www.g2.com) was founded in 2012 by Tim Handorf, Godard Abel, Matt Gorniak, Mark Myers, and Mike Wheeler. The review site’s beta version was introduced in 2012, with thousands of users evaluating the service. The beta version was fully launched in 2013. After a brief spell constructing Salesforce bought Steelbrick CPQ, G2 Cofounders Godard Abel and Matt Gorniak returned to the firm in early 2018.
The GridSM, which competes with Gartner’s magic quadrant review model, uses information from reviews to score business software products. Product reviews and market presence data are used to generate satisfaction and market presence ratings, which are then used to plot products into quadrants. Leaders, high performers, contenders, and niche are the four quadrants of a G2 Crowd Grid.
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#9. GigaOM
- Founded: 2006
- Headquarters: Santa Barbara, California, US
Need to know
Gigaom (https://www.gigaom.com) was founded in 2006 by Om Malik. Several additional technology-related blogs and services were originally connected to the site’s network. Gigaom redesigned all of these blogs as independent subject channels on gigaom.com in 2011, with channels dedicated to technology news, Apple, cleantech, cloud computing, data, Europe, mobile technology, and digital video. Malik appointed Paul Walborsky as CEO in 2008. The company launched GigaOM Pro, a subscription-based technology research service, in 2009. PaidContent was bought by Gigaom on February 8, 2012, when ContentNext Media was purchased.
GigaOM covers startup firms, emerging technologies, and other technology-related issues with news, analysis, and opinions.