Ferris Research’s Analyzer Information Service provides business intelligence on messaging, collaboration, and compliance technologies. It helps vendor business and technical management:

• Validate or question important business decisions
• Spot trends faster
• Keep abreast of the news
• Generate sales leads
• Communicate offerings and strengths in a noisy marketplace

SERVICE ELEMENTS

Business Intelligence. This helps you make better decisions. It helps you 1) spot trends sooner than you would otherwise; 2) validate or question important planning decisions; 3) Keep abreast of the news:

• Reports. You have access to all our reports; about 15 reports annually. See report list here
• Access to Web Library. Use our large searchable library of research reports, news bulletins, insight bulletins, and webinar recordings. It’s by far the largest library anywhere on the technology
• Consulting/Inquiry Service. Use us as a confidential sounding board on planning issues. Up to 10 hours annually. Sample questions are: Can we improve our positioning/identity statement? What are the main customer purchase requirements and how are they evolving? Which of the possible standards is likely to succeed? What more can you tell us about how this vendor is doing?
• Surveys. Field short surveys to Ferris subscribers for product planning/publicity purposes. Eg, to validate a key planning assumption

And of course, you have searchable access to our free services, available to the public at large:

• News Service. Comprehensive coverage of the news, key trends, and important developments. It’s designed so that you can very quickly keep current, and is available as daily bulletins (sample here) or monthly digests (sample here)
• Insights & Observations. Short informal bulletins commenting on trends or important developments. See samples here

Marketing Communications. We help you communicate in a noisy market:

• Response on your Schedule. As a subscriber, you can contact us at short notice, when you need us. Eg for quotes, or a briefing, or press interview. If necessary, we can often schedule briefings on the day you contact us
• Briefings and Length. Normally Ferris conducts 30-minute briefings. As a subscriber, briefings can be one hour
• NDA & Embargoes. Brief us ahead of time, under embargo. Or have discussions under NDA
• Need a Statistic? Can’t find an industry statistic you need for a press release, or for marketing materials? Eg, on market size, or growth? Contact us and we’ll endeavor to develop an estimate which you can then quote
• Press Quotes. We provide quotes that help explain the significance of your offering, and which can be used in press and other promotional materials
• Engage More Closely with Leading Analyst. Ferris Research is a significant industry influencer, it’s valuable to engage more closely with us because we understand your offerings better
• Press References. Refer press to us for interpretation of your offerings

Sales Materials. You can use our materials to explain what you do, and your strengths:

• Bulletins About You or Commenting on You. Typically bulletins result from a briefing, after which we write a 1-3 paragraph commentary on some interesting aspect of your offering, or how it illustrates a significant trend, etc. For sample bulletins, see Notes/Domino 8, Google Apps, MailChannels, Socialtext, Workshare
• Bulletins That Communicate Key Messages. Communicating important messages, eg about an industry trend, or about an important aspect of your offering, is hard. Brief us on the issue. If we agree the topic’s relevant, we’ll publish a bulletin, and make it publicly available. You can then re-use the bulletin, or point people to it. Sometimes it’s far more convincing to have a respected analyst say something, than to say it yourself. For sample bulletins, see Notes/Domino 8, Google Apps, MailChannels, Socialtext, Workshare
• Distribution Rights to Publicly-Available Bulletins. Select any ones that help your marketing, eg that comment on you, or validate an important observation. You can then redistribute the bulletin, or point people to it. If necessary, we’ll put the bulletin in a publicly-accessible part of our website. For sample bulletins, see Notes/Domino 8, Google Apps, MailChannels, Socialtext, Workshare
• Advertising in Ferris’s Monthly Newsletter. You get two weeks of inserts in the daily news bulletins, and one insert in a monthly newsletter

Lead Generation. The service helps you identify prospective customers:

• Custom Webinar. We organize an educational webinar on a topic to be mutually agreed upon. You and Ferris promote this. Ferris provides a speaker, and you also present. Your sales staff can follow up on all leads you generate, and we will also distribute your promotional followup message to all leads generated by Ferris
• Speak at Ferris Webinars. You’re given priority as a speaker at our webinars: speakers must be qualified and prepared. You have the option to promote the event; in this case you receive full information on all leads you generate
• Promotional Email to Ferris Webinar Registrants. When you speak at one of our webinars, you are able to send a promotional message, such as an offer to provide your white papers, to event registrants
• Webinar Recording, Audio for Lead Generation on Website. Where you speak at a Ferris webinar, you can receive a recording of it. This can be used as an on-demand webinar on your website. They’re excellent lead generators. We share resulting leads

Other:

• Customer/Prospect Concalls. We consult to prospective customers, discussing your offering and plans
• Investor Concalls. We consult to prospective or current investors, interpreting your offering and plans
• Assigned Analyst. One of our analysts is responsible for being knowledgeable about your environment or offering
• Ferris Proactively Contacts You. We contact you periodically to review where we are, and keep the relationship active

ANALYST TEAM

Our analyst team is second to none. We have by far the widest range of skills, and by far the deepest skills, of any analyst firm in the field. Our backgrounds are a mix of senior vendor product management, hands-on integrators, and IT messaging staff--see bios here.

FURTHER INFORMATION, COST JUSTIFICATION

For further information, including price quotes, contact sales@ferris.com, or call +1 650 452 6215.

To cost-justify a subscription, you may find this ROI Spreadsheet helpful (right-click to download.)