Research, Analysis and Consulting Services

Building Success

Through more than 30 years of analyzing IT and Telecom markets IDC has a proven methodology and a unique experience doing competitive research. This includes collecting the information about the companies from numerous sources and putting it into context with the current and future market conditions, concluding in an in-depth analysis of the company in question.

IDC's competitive analysis are designed to help organizations whose managers are challenged with the following questions:

• Who are my future competitors?
• What are my competitors strengths and weaknesses related to mine?
• WHY How is my company positioned compared to the competitors - today and in the future?

Why Use IDC's Competitive Analysis and Leadership Grid?

IDC knows your market from a different and more objective angle than yourself. We are therefore in a unique position to disscuss and assist you in your market approach.

• Improve the quality of business planning
• Analyse competitive strengths/ weaknesses of your company and your competitors
• Identify current and upcoming key competitors
• Improve your planning and monitoring of a clear market positioning

Example of IDC Leadership Grid

Tools and Methodologies

Leadership Grids IDC's
Leadership Grid is a matrix based on evaluating vendors in a market on two dimensions:
1) Opportunity Alignment: The current position of the vendor with regard to the market.
2) Ability to Gain Share: How is the company positioned and prepared for the markets future condition all related to the competitors in the market.

Company Profiles
Company profiles are in depth analysis of companies with regards to their market activities. This typically includes analysis of the company's strategies, products, market position, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats all concluded in an IDC opinion on the company.

SWOT analysis
An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threads (SWOT) covers analysing a company relatively to the markte , to the competitors in general or to one specific competitor.

Examples of Recent Consulting Projects

Competitor Monitoring
Scope: For IT company to monitor largest competitors within each product areas they cover.
Benefit: The company's sales people have access to a database of competitive analysis providing them with good and updated arguments against major competitors.

Assisting new Web hosting company in start up
Scope: To help a new entrant on the web hosting market with segmentation, identifying competitors and setting price.
Benefit: The company was able to make a successful roll-out on the Nordic market. Setting the right strategy for confronting the competion in the most favorable way.

Positioning through Building a Leadership grid
Scope: For an IT services company IDC positioned the company and its competitors in an IDC leadership grid. First we defi ned the most important parameters on the market, gathered the information on selected vendors and created the leadership grid.
Benefit: The company got a clear picture of its own position relatively to its competitors and how it is positioned for future market conditions on crucial succes factors in the market. In addition the company is now aware of it's competitors strengths and weeknesses on these crusial success factors.

For more information on this or other IDC research, please contact IDC Nordic Sales or your local IDC representative: