TrendAlert: Engineers Open A Window Of Opportunity For Information Managers

This Briefing is based on our recently published HotTopics, 'Better, Faster, Cheaper

- Technical Information at the Engineer's Desktop,' and includes tailored recommendations for information managers. It looks at the changing R&D marketplace for information, particularly the new ways that engineers are disrupting the information-delivery status quo, the suppliers of the information they use, and the ways content providers can meet engineers at their point of need. It identifies growth drivers and trends in the industries that spend the most on R&D, including globalization and outsourcing, a shift from basic to applied research in industry, and shrinking design cycles. All of these changes are taking place in an information environment that is also evolving, as users are more likely to consult peers and colleagues as sources. The Briefing provides data on how and where engineers look for information, their preferences, and hot trends and partnerships in technical information delivery. It includes three key 'Imperatives for Information Managers' that provide concrete steps for re-energizing and repositioning their services for engineers.