Company Assessment: IMS Health

Authors: Joel Block, Analyst; Lisa Nash, Analyst; Don McLagan, Analyst

On the pharmaceutical and healthcare information landscape, it's practically impossible to miss IMS Health. Its brand, and its information products and services are ubiquitous among industry knowledge workers---like market researchers---who rely on IMS data to do their jobs and meet their internal clients' information needs. But what's on the horizon for IMS? What are its goals and new product strategies? What are its customers' opinions about IMS product, service, and relationship quality? What opportunities and challenges are a foot? This Briefing focuses on IMS Health's Market Research Services product line. Based on two IMS executive interviews, insights from interviews with 11 current IMS market research customers representing five major pharmaceutical companies, and Outsell research, analysis and opinion, Outsell analysts examine:

- Key corporate IMS facts

- The company's overall corporate product strategy

- An essential view of IMS from Outsell's practiced Information Industry perspective

- The company's Market Research Services strategies, present and future

- Key IMS opportunities and challenges, including IMS customer opinion

- Outsell analysts' findings and opinions related to IMS strategies, opportunities, and challenges