Briefing: Information Content Management Best Practices: Dealing With The Steady Stream Of Vendor Consolidation

Consolidation among vendors is a fact of life in the information industry; the major industry players we analyze in the Outsell 100(SM) are on track to acquire over $2.7 billion worth of revenue in 2004. This Briefing discusses the consolidation that's occurring, major motivations and trends driving it, its effect on vendor companies, and its implications for information management teams that have to deal with this phenomenon in their portfolio and vendor management practices. It looks at consolidation from the buy-side's perspective, including the kinds of M&A activity to watch for, the typical patterns and hiccups to expect when vendors merge, and proper customer responses, as part of a comprehensive vendor portfolio management policy. For information management professionals, this Briefing offers concrete steps to help them get in front of the inevitable consolidation among their vendors and avoid strictly reactive responses. For commercial content vendors, the Briefing provides a view of consolidation from their customers' viewpoint, and highlights the steps they can take to maintain good customer relations through sometimes confusing and stressful changes.