I just discovered that video excerpts from Gideon Gartner’s May 2007 appearance at the Computer History Museum are available on YouTube. During the event, Gideon and Neill Brownstein discussed the roots of Gartner, Giga Information Group and the IT industry analyst business. The CHM videotaped the event and the QA.

Segments from the discussion with Neill:

Gideon Gartner on the genesis of Gartner Group

Gideon Gartner on the future of IT research

Segments from the audience Q&A:

Gideon Gartner on selling his Gartner shares in ‘93

Gideon Gartner on the Magic Quadrant”

As I recall, about 250 people attended the event, many of them from the analyst business. Although Tekrati co-hosted the event, I’m tipping my hat to Robert X. Cringely for the YouTube find. He linked to one while expounding — er, pounding — on Gartner Inc., IDC, Forrester, Yankee, and the IT professionals who hire them.

The Knowledge Capital Group has announced that Gideon Gartner, the founder of Gartner, Soundview, and GIGA Information Group, will be a featured speaker at the KCG Connects event. This event, designed for people who want to learn about analyst relations, coincides with the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando in October.

Personally, I am pleased to see this. I am put off by the way KCG describes the Gartner company founding and early days in their analyst relations handbook. This event presents an opportunity to set the record straight(er) and more importantly, to spark compelling discussions about the industry analyst business.

IMHO, Gideon is well within his rights to say that he brought dramatic innovation to the analyst business in 1979 with the founding of Gartner, and again with the founding of GIGA. His recall is in marked contrast to the current Gartner corporate claim:

This year marks the 26th anniversary of Gartner and the founding of our industry. - Gartner, Inc. Investor Relations website

‘Founding of our industry’? First, you have to ask: Isn’t this the sort of self-serving historical revisionism Gartner is supposed to expose? Then you have to ask: Why does Gartner fail to recognize the importance of its one-time role as a disruptive innovator within this (pre-existing) industry? Gartner making this statement is akin to Google announcing that they founded the search market, or Twitter claiming the invention of IM.

Back on point: Last May, Gideon Gartner enthralled a few hundred analysts, consultants and others for an evening at the Computer History Museum. His business insights were inspirational to all types of high tech entrepreneurs at the event, in addition to those of us clustered in and around the IT industry research and advisory business. So, while you should not book this KCG event to try to get Gideon to invest in your company, you should find him an astute advisor and innovator thinker when it comes to business strategy — and the highlight of a full day of AR 101.

Do not assume that Mr. Gartner’s participation in the KCG event, means similar participation in the Gartner Symposium. Possible, but certainly not inevitable. Despite the example of statesmanship set by Jamie Lewis and Craig Burton at this year’s Catalyst, your best options for buttonholing Mr. Gartner may just be KCG Connects or the next TED.

Lots of very smart people like to point out what’s wrong with the industry analyst business. Yet, few engage in a constructive conversation about what it’s going to take to revitalize the industry analyst business — so that it plays a more valuable link in the IT procurement chain going forward. Chanting lies-damn-lies won’t do the trick. To foster a more useful and informed public debate, I’m supporting a new speaker series at the Computer History Museum. Here’s some insight into my thinking, and my personal thank you to some inspiring individuals and organizations also helping to promote this event, albeit each for their own reasons.

To recap the CHM event: The Computer History Museum is presenting Gideon Gartner, in conversation with Neill Brownstein, on May 15th. It’s free; a $10 donation at the door is suggested (if not a CHM member). Find more information and register at the CHM website.

Recently, I surprised James Governor at RedMonk by pointing out that I see many parallels between RedMonk today and Gartner’s early days. If you know him, you can guess just how pleased he was. But here’s my point: as a company, Gartner was a innovator and a disruptor in the industry analyst marketplace in the early 1980s. It changed the rules about information and advisory delivery, sales models, business culture, and more. Gartner was not the only innovative company at the time, nor was it the last. However, many its innovations became standard practices. Most of the analyst companies we see today are interpretations of this earlier period of innovation — despite the fact that as early as 1995, Gideon Gartner himself characterized the 1980s business model as outdated and out of sync with the market.

That, in a nutshell, is why this Computer History Museum speaker series is worthwhile. It provides an opportunity to hear personal insights and stories about a successful cycle of innovation — including the challenges, wins, frustrations. It’s an opportunity to understand the human story behind what it took to disrupt and innovate. What could have been done differently? What will it take to reinvent the analyst business again, today or in the future?

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The Computer History Museum invites you to attend a special event next week, when they present industry analyst marketplace pioneer Gideon Gartner, in conversation with venture capitalist Neill Brownstein. Part of the CHM Presents speaker series, the evening offers a rare opportunity to hear Mr. Gartner share candid and personal insights on the rise of IT industry analysts. The talk takes place at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, USA, starting at 6:30 pm. Free, suggested $10 donation at the door.

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Today, IT industry analysts hold sway as global intermediaries between technologists and business, media, governments, universities and investors. Yet, there was a time when the industry analysts were a group of rebellious start-ups, bent on reinventing conventional industry intelligence services for computer buyers, investors and manufacturers. Join the Computer History Museum on Tuesday, May 15th at 6:30 PM as it presents a special evening of candid and personal insights on the rise of the industry analysts from industry analyst marketplace pioneer Gideon Gartner. The event takes place at the Computer History Museum, 1401 N. Shoreline Boulevard, Mountain View, CA. Free. Suggested donation of $10 at the door. Advanced registration is strongly advised.