IDC launches TechMatch to help businesses select software vendors

However, Carter noted, “the way that IDC frames the world is often not how our buyers categorize things. And so we’re learning that we need to maybe have more knowledge — what we call a knowledge graph orientation — towards this, where they can pick and choose different options, and they define their requirements a bit more dynamically, as opposed to falling into our traditional categories as we’ve done as a research house over the years. So it’s really forcing us to ask ourselves some of the harder questions about how we should serve this up in the future.”

As the criteria fall into place, the application winnows down the list of possible vendors. Users can click through and view IDC research on each, add comments, and even “favorite” vendors. Each one is scored based on its match to the requirements. For example, all other things being equal, if Product A’s pricing model requires annual commitments and Product B’s is quarterly, the buyer’s preference, then Product B will have a higher vendor score. Requirements can also include support and implementation options.

To provide another perspective, IDC has partnered with software marketplace G2, which provides customer ratings and comparisons of products. “We see that as complementary, because this provides the peer review perspective on that product, so that it adds another layer of value to a user,” Carter explained.