Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), industry analysts focused on IT management, has announced a free research offer to Burton Group clients looking to maintain multiple sources for independent research and advice. Offer is for IT professionals only; proof of Burton contract required.

This offer is in response to Gartner's January 5, 2010 announcement of the acquisition of Burton Group, Inc.

“With continued consolidation in the IT analyst space, IT professionals are left with fewer sources for independent advice and limited choices for alternative opinions,” said Dan Twing, EMA President and COO. “Enterprise Management Associates is ready and able to provide that alternative voice for former Burton clients. We are making this free offer to provide Burton clients with a no risk, easy opportunity to experience EMA’s IT Management research and expertise as they adjust to the narrowing field for industry analysis.”

This offer provides qualified Burton research subscribers -- IT professionals only; excludes vendors of IT management software and hardware -- the following during 2010:  

• Free Enterprise-Wide License for EMA Research Library access (unlimited seats)
• Free EMA Analyst Time (up to 5 hours of phone time)
• 50% off onsite consultations A P.O. or signed contract verifying proof of a Burton research subscription will be required to take advantage of this offer.

A P.O. or signed contract verifying proof of a Burton research subscription will be required to take advantage of this offer.

Those who are interested in this opportunity can contact the EMA Business Development team at sales@enterprisemanagement.com or call +1.303.543.9500.

About EMA

Founded in 1996, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) is a leading industry analyst firm that specializes in going “beyond the surface” to provide deep insight across the full spectrum of IT management technologies. EMA analysts leverage a unique combination of practical experience, insight into industry best practices, and in-depth knowledge of current and planned vendor solu¬tions to help its clients achieve their goals.

INPUT, an authority on government business, today announced Government Investing Advisor (GovIA), a research offering designed to deliver unique data and insights to the investing community on government spending and contractor activity.

Available immediately to subscribers, GovIA provides hard-to-find information and insight on the largest, publicly traded companies serving government, as well as government market data, spending analysis and forecasts.

“Leveraging our research and analysis platform and decades of experience tracking government spending, INPUT is in a unique position to deliver impactful research for the investment community,” said Timothy Dowd, CEO of INPUT.

With discretionary spending by the federal government expected to grow 6.5 percent this year — more than double the pace of the US economy (GDP) — it is more critical than ever for investors to follow government spending. In 2010, government spending on goods and services is expected to rival the combined revenues of the 20 largest Fortune 500 companies. To help investors capitalize on this large growth market, INPUT has established a dedicated team of analysts. The GovIA offering combines direct access to INPUT’s experts with a new, Web-based platform that delivers unique research content, daily analyst notes and real-time e-mail alerts.

Since 1974, INPUT has provided in-depth industry analysis and actionable market intelligence to help industry and government conduct business more effectively. More than 2,000 contractors and government agencies rely on INPUT for the latest and most comprehensive procurement and market information. INPUT tracks nearly $2 trillion in federal contract opportunities and $50 billion in state and local contract opportunities. GovIA will leverage these capabilities with a focus on the existing, upcoming and expiring contracts that matter to each company’s performance. This will enable investors to anticipate and capitalize on the contractor activity and award announcements that can move stock prices.

“With GovIA, we are providing investors with company-impacting information related to the top government contractors, an open line of communication to experts with inside access and informed opinions on government spending,” said Dowd. “We look forward to helping the investor community make more informed investment decisions through GovIA.”

About INPUT

INPUT is the authority on government business. Established in 1974, INPUT helps companies develop federal, state, and local government business and helps public sector organizations achieve their objectives. More than 2,000 member organizations, including small specialized companies, new entrants to the public sector, and the largest government contractors and agencies, rely on INPUT for the latest and most comprehensive procurement and market information, consulting, powerful sales management tools, and educational & networking events.

Following Gartner’s recent acquisitions of AMR Research and Burton Group, IT industry analyst firm Info-Tech Research Group is launching their own version of a “Drop a Seat” program. The promotion provides companywide access to Info-Tech's research for the same price as single user access to a single Gartner service.

The program encourages IT organizations to drop a seat from their current research provider and instead gain company-wide access to ITA Premium, Info-Tech’s flagship research service.

The aim of the program is to allow users of other research services not familiar with Info-Tech Research Group an opportunity to experience company-wide access to Info-Tech Research Group's in-depth IT research.

“Burton launched a similar program a few years ago following Gartner’s acquisition of Meta Group,” said Joel McLean, founder and CEO of Info-Tech Research Group. “I think Jamie Lewis, Burton’s former CEO, understood that as formerly independent IT analyst firms were swallowed up by bigger fish, it became more and more difficult to trust that the advice you receive is truly unbiased. With Burton now folded into Gartner, this holds true now more than ever.”

In response to the consolidation of the IT research market, Info-Tech Research Group is encouraging people to drop a seat from their current research provider and gain company-wide access to Info-Tech Research Group’s research service. The IT research firm is confident that new customers will agree its services stand out from the crowd when compared to Gartner, Forrester and Corporate Executive Board.

Info-Tech Research Group’s paid membership of more than 21,000 worldwide makes it second to Gartner in terms of number of clients in the IT research industry. The company has grown by providing unbiased, get-your-hands-dirty, practical research that helps clients complete their most important projects.

“It’s time to try something different,” said McLean. “Working with Info-Tech Research Group analysts you receive personalized attention focused on practical solutions that get you through the storms. It will be the best thing you do for your department, your organization and your career.”

About Info-Tech Research Group

With a paid membership of over 21,000 worldwide, Info-Tech Research Group (www.infotech.com) is a global leader in providing tactical, practical Information Technology research and analysis. Info-Tech has been addressing the needs of IT professionals for over 10 years, and is one of North America's fastest growing full-service IT analyst firms.

Outsell, Inc. today announced the acquisition of The Gilbane Group, a highly regarded analyst consulting firm focused on content technologies and based in Cambridge, Mass. The Gilbane Group will operate as a division of Outsell.

In an email, founders Anthea Stratigos, Greg Chagraris, and Frank Gilbane explained the rationale behind the M&A: "An important element of our strategic plan has been to include deeper coverage of content software technology to better serve our core markets of publishers & information providers and enterprise IM clients. In addition, investors we serve are looking at emerging firms in content technology, and content technology firms themselves have wanted our coverage to extend beyond their markets. The Gilbane Group has built a tremendous reputation in the content software technology arena, and the union of our two companies gives both firms strength to deliver complete solutions. Our ability to fully serve you is unprecedented in the marketplace. We are pleased to collaborate and are excited about the opportunities ahead."

Frank Gilbane, founder, President, and CEO of The Gilbane Group, will continue on as President of The Gilbane Group, a division of Outsell, Inc., and members of his team will be an integral part of the company.

IAB Europe this week announced that media analyst firm Screen Digest is the new research partner for the annual advertising expenditure report, AdEx.

The AdEx Report is the definitive guide to the value of the online advertising market across Europe. Since it was first published in 2007, the report has provided actual full year booked revenues for this diverse region that includes both emerging and mature internet advertising markets. In 2009 the report included figures for search, display and classifieds in 19 markets, and in the 2010 Screen Digest will be auditing figures for 21 markets.

Screen Digest's Head of Advertising, Vincent Letang, worked closely with IAB Europe in 2009 to prepare market analysis and forecasts to publish alongside the data to set the internet in the context of other media. In 2010 this initiative will continue, helping to show the role that internet advertising plays when combined with other media, as well as on its own.

Catherine Borrel, Head of Research at IAB Europe says "We were impressed with Screen Digest's contribution to this important project last year and so are very pleased to be working with them again in 2010. Screen Digest has unrivalled media expertise: as well as a dedicated advertising team, there are 50 specialists across the media sector including mobile, gaming and television. In business for more than 15 years, we provide analysis and data on over 30 global media markets and have a track record in compiling similar reports for a number of European trade bodies. As the internet becomes part of the media mix, it is vital that we can not only view it on its own, but show its significant contribution when combined with other media. We are also able to look at emerging trends and share market forecasts with our members so they have a clear picture of what has happenedcombined with an understanding of where the market is going."

Screen Digest's Vincent Letang said '"IAB's Europe's Adex report is the most comprehensive study and we are delighted to formalise our partnership that began last year. We are excited to be working together to expand the report's scope and market coverage."

IAB Europe CEO and President Alain Heureux comments "IAB Europe and Screen Digest will be presenting the findings at the 2010 Interact Congress in Barcelona on 2nd June. The theme for this year's event is online brand advertising so it will be very apt to have the final round up of data for 2009 and the forward-looking view for our delegates so we can see how and where internet advertising can contribute to brand building."

Ventana Research has launched the Data Governance Best Practices Research and Education Portal to ease the challenge of managing information assets effectively. The portal is sponsored by DataFlux.

Managing the creation, use and management of information is critical to reducing risk and achieving business success. The Data Governance Best Practices Research and Education Portal provides experience and research-based insights into how companies can address a key component of information management, data governance: the practice of setting policies and rules that guide the creation, use, and management of information using technology to automate the consistency, quality and integration of data.

The Data Governance Best Practices Research and Education Portal is the latest in a series of online education portals drawing on the extensive IT and business research conducted by Ventana Research. Ventana Research has drawn on years of research benchmarking thousands of organizations to create this portal. 

Ventana Research says it finds that too many people in organizations are not aware of the strategic importance of data governance. The portal seeks to bridge this gap, providing valuable knowledge derived from our research and experience.

"Most companies fail to understand how much competitive advantage they're giving away by failing to address data governance," said Mark Smith, EVP of Research at Ventana Research and the company's CEO. "By focusing on ensuring that the underpinning of information, data, is managed well, organizations have been able to achieve significant improvements in both efficiency and effectiveness. Still, there are too many companies that waste time and resources on information management processes that are not all that difficult to improve."

The Portal for Best Practices provides the benefit of years of experience and benchmarking research to help business managers to operate more efficiently and increase the value they bring to their organization.

"Organizations today are faced with an exponential amount of data - on customers, patients, citizens, employees, products, assets, locations and any other entity," said Tony Fisher, president and CEO of DataFlux. "To make sense of this information - and allow the organization to function at the highest level possible - companies need a data governance mindset where data quality is achieved, maintained, valued and used to drive the business. This cultural shift involves technology, best practices and the business support to be successful. The Best Practices Education Portal on Data Governance is a thorough and useful resource for any organization that wants to improve their business success through data governance."

Gartner has combined three of its most popular security-focused conferences into one new four-program summit — the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit, which takes place June 21-23 in Washington D.C.

Four complete programs within the Summit will drill down on Security, Risk Management and Compliance, Business Continuity Management, and chief information security officer (CISO) roles to deliver detailed, role-specific content and networking. Each program offers a full agenda of analyst sessions, keynotes, round-table discussions, case studies, workshops and more. The programs will cover today's hottest topics in security and risk management, from network and infrastructure security to cloud computing, security as a service, sourcing, compliance, e-discovery, privacy, and identity and access management.

The new event has been restructured to feature four concurrent programs over three days:

• CISO: strategic and managerial vs. tactical; professional development (includes Invitational Program)
• IT Security: security technology, privacy and protection tools
• Risk Management and Compliance: governance, risk and compliance
• Business Continuity: disaster recovery, 24/7 availability

Session content will balance tactical recommendations and next steps with big-picture insights and strategy designed to help IT better align with business goals and deliver greater business value. Attendees will garner an updated understanding of where IT security and risk management stand today, what coming changes mean for their organization, and how to address them with a step-by-step plan of action.

"The Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit 2010 is the premier conference and meeting place for IT and business executives responsible for creating, implementing, and managing a proactive and comprehensive IT strategy for information security, risk management, compliance, business continuity management, IT disaster recovery and business resiliency," said Victor Wheatman, managing vice president at Gartner and summit co-chair.

"Security is a class of risk management, and risk disciplines are helpful when applied to security. Going forward, we need to take a comprehensive view of risk that includes security, but also risk management and all the disciplines within it, such as business continuity," said Chris Byrnes, managing vice president at Gartner and summit co-chair. "This Summit brings these elements together to give a complete picture."

The latest security and risk management tools will be demonstrated by the more than 90 companies that will be exhibiting at the conference. A listing of current sponsors is available.

For complete event details, please visit the Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit Web site at the link below.

About Gartner

Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. Gartner delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and professional services firms, to technology investors, Gartner is the indispensable partner to 60,000 clients in 10,000 distinct organizations. Through the resources of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze and interpret the business of IT within the context of their individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 4,000 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants in 80 countries.

IDG Knowledge Hub will launch a Twitter contest beginning Monday, February 8th. Retweet an IDC Directions message to enter a daily drawing for a free conference registration to the IDC Directions 2010 in San Jose, Calif. or Boston, Mass.

Follow IDG Knowledge Hub’s twitter page at twitter.com/idgknowledgehub, and retweet the Directions message of the day - it will always end with the hashtag #Dir10Contest.

When you retweet the #Dir10Contest Tweet of the day, your Twitter name will be entered in a daily drawing to receive a free ticket to the U.S .Directions conference of your choice: March 4th in Boston, MA or March 10th in Santa Clara, CA.

The Follow Directions contest begins Monday, February 8th.

The market research business of Electronic Trend Publications (ETP) was acquired by New Venture Research Corp. on January 1, 2010.

ETP is a well-known publisher of market research reports for advanced electronics and energy technologies. The San Jose, Calif.-based company was formed in 1978 to assist industry executives in their strategic planning. It publishes off-the-shelf market research reports in key areas of the electronics industry. The reports are written by a staff of independent analysts and consultants who are second to none in their ability to explore and analyze our targeted markets.

NVR and ETP have worked together for more than 16 years.

ETP's publications will augment NVR's market research, business development and M&A consulting services by providing a solid database on market data on emerging electronics and energy product technologies.

About NVR

New Venture Research Corp. (NVR) was established in 1988 to provide advanced business research services for the high technology electronics sector.  Initially, the company’s focus was on providing startup businesses with market research and strategic planning consulting services since we were located in Silicon Valley, California.  Later, the company expanded into providing business development and merger & acquisition services to large and small as well as old and new firms. 

Today, NVR is a global provider of business intelligence, growth management and advisory services to companies in the information technology, telecommunications, consumer, scientific instrumentation and advanced electronics markets.

NVR assists companies in their decision making by providing timely market and strategic information.  Our goal is to help our clients achieve their key business objectives by offering a range of primary and secondary research capabilities that give guidance on new products and emerging businesses. 

The company is headquartered in Nevada City, California.

IDC working with supercomputing experts from Teratec, France, Daresbury Laboratory, UK, Leibniz-Rechenzentrum, Germany, and Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, has been awarded a contract by the European Commission to develop a strategic agenda for high performance computing (HPC) in Europe.

The study will provide the research and analysis needed to increase the HPC capabilities available for the advancement of open science and to increase the competitiveness of the European Union in the supply and use of HPC systems. The study has a mandate to look at the key strategic developments in HPC through to 2020, as well as examining the investments, structures, and coordination needed to develop supercomputing e-infrastructures across Europe.

Commenting on the study's purpose and scope, Chris Ingle, associate vice president of Consulting at IDC, said, "This is a critical moment for high performance computing leadership. Europe has been a leader in this field in the past and, with the right investments, can continue to develop a strong HPC industry and benefit from the use of HPC in science and throughout society."

Gabriella Cattaneo, director of Competitiveness & Innovation Policies & Strategies, Europe, at IDC Government Insights, added, "A policy agenda for HPC will help support the European Commission's goal to develop EU ICT infrastructures for e-science, strengthening the European scientific research and high-tech capabilities."

The research contract requires a detailed comparative analysis of HPC investments and funding structures globally, as well as the impact of HPC on scientific and industrial leadership. Earl Joseph, program vice president of IDC's Technical Computing group noted that "HPC investment, and the associated productivity gains and the resulting research leadership from that investment, has become critical in many countries. Although the U.S. and Japan have vied for supercomputing performance leadership over the past few years, other countries are quickly developing their own HPC industries and capabilities in order to increase their economic competitiveness and scientific leadership."

Developing a view of the technologies that are needed for a successful HPC strategy is critical to this project. Steve Conway, research vice president in IDC's Technical Computing group, added, "The link has been firmly established between HPC and scientific and economic advancement. The investments needed for the next generation of HPC systems will be substantial. Deciding on the optimal areas of investment – systems, storage, software, and people skills – that are most valuable to European HPC users, and the wider economy, is critical to the EU's success in developing its HPC agenda. Many countries are installing multiple petascale supercomputers today and are laying the foundation for using exascale systems in a few years."

The study is scheduled to be a seven month contract, which will provide policymakers with an analysis of the HPC industry from 2010-2020, a view on the technology requirements from the HPC industry in 2020, and a strategic agenda for HPC in Europe.

About IDC

IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. For more than 46 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company.