ISG just announced the acquisition of Ventana Research, the firm founded by Mark Smith. As industry insiders, we’ve been keeping a close eye on ISG for a while now, and it’s clear that they’ve been exploring avenues beyond their traditional sourcing advisory services. While their sourcing advisory core business might not be a rapid growth engine, their recent acquisition of Ventana Research signals a strategic shift in their approach.
One key question that arises with ISG’s latest move is, “What is their actual end-user traction in the market?” Ventana Research, on the other hand, is known for its solid reputation and strong influence within the software industry analyst realm. ISG may have found the perfect partner in Ventana to enhance their footprint and credibility in the software industry.
With the addition of Ventana Research to its portfolio, ISG is positioning itself as a legitimate challenger in the software industry analyst space. This is a welcome development for those of us who follow the industry closely. The traditional players have dominated this field for a long time, and the emergence of a new contender is sure to bring fresh perspectives and innovation to the table.
Having worked closely with several Ventana analysts including David Menninger, Keith Dawson, Matt Aslett and Stephen Hurrell, we see the addition of those 11 or so analysts to ISG’s 85+ a significant addition.
In summary, ISG’s acquisition of Ventana Research is a significant development that has the potential to create a new challenger to established firms such as Omdia, Forrester and others. It’s evident that ISG is seeking new avenues for growth, and Ventana’s strong reputation and capabilities make them a promising addition. ISG’s research portfolio (outside of sourcing advisory) now include ISG Provider Lens™ (service provider evaluation research), ISG Provider Services (go-to-market research and support for service providers), ISG ProBenchmark® (SaaS-based pricing intelligence platform) and ISG Events (producer of industry conferences and webinars) –and Ventana which should keep its brand (for now?)
AR professionals should keep tabs on this acquisition, the upsides of better routes to market for Ventana should be balanced with the potential disruption to the analyst teams.
IIAR> Member Resources.
Check the recordings of our calls with ISG and Ventana.
- What does ISG research stand for?
- IIAR> Webinar with Jan Erik Aase / Partner & Principal Analyst, ISG
- IIAR> Webinar with Ventana
Ludovic Leforestier is a co-founder and IIAR> Board Member, and the Founder of Starsight Communications (@lludovic, LinkedIn).
