Annual IT services industry studies
Atlanta-based Specifics, Inc. has initiated distribution of participant packages for its annual IT Services Industry Studies. To be published in May 2000 are:
- IT Services Productivity, Practices, and Trends (13th Edition)
- IT Services Executive and Management Compensation (4th Edition)
- IT Services Compensation and
Billing Practices (6th Edition)
Conducted annually, these three studies examine the highly competitive IT services industry. Additionally, the studies will be available free of charge for participating companies.
Firm adds on-line survey capabilities
WMB & Associates (WMB&A), an Apopka, Fla., research firm, now offers clients the facility to conduct both Web- and e-mail-based surveys. Through pre-selected or purchased email lists clients can obtain near realtime consumer and business research. WMB&A acts as the intermediary to ensure confidentiality. There is e-mail alert invitation/notification, password access control, automatic screening to avoid multiple responses and the ability to do follow-up inquiry to non-respondents.
Web site serves as data warehouse
1010 Data, Inc., a New York application service provider, has launched its Web-based database subscription service. The service allows end users to analyze large databases in Internet time - with little or no involvement of IT professionals. The software runs on the company’s servers. Any customer can access 1010 Data’s service with a standard Web browser. Using the service, a user uploads their data to 1010 Data’s secure servers and can instantly query the data, generate cross-tabulations, charts, reports and combine their data with other financial, demographic or statistical data. Results can be securely shared with other companies over the Web. Data can be uploaded either directly through the browser or by sending a CD-ROM or tape to the company. 1010 Data can manage databases ranging from 100 to 100 million records with comparable performance.
Study examines soybean farmer e-com usage
Because of the many facets of e-commerce, there is a need to better define and more thoroughly research how farmers are using electronic services today and under various circumstances how they will use these in the future. To do so, Doane Marketing Research, Inc., St. Louis, is conducting a shared-cost market research study entitled "Drivers of e-Commerce Usage by Large Acreage Corn and Soybean Farmers." Only growers with 500 or more acres will be sampled.
New Net-based knowledge automation service
New York-based GroupSystems.com has partnered with Wirthlin Worldwide, a McLean, Va., research firm, to combine Wirthlin’s Advanced Strategy Lab and GroupSystems.com’s Internet-based knowledge automation service, GroupSystems OnLine. Advanced Strategy Lab (ASL OnLine) allows organizations to collect strategic information from participants around the world, simultaneously and anonymously. A facilitator moves the group through key questions, categorizes themes, prioritizes strategies or issues, and identifies appropriate action steps. Wirthlin clients will use the methodology for strategic planning, product and marketing strategies, focus group sessions, organizational vision and mission statements, information technology implementations, employee feedback sessions and other critical business processes.
The Advanced Strategy Lab methodology is currently available on GroupSystems.com’s new Internetenabled GroupSystems OnLine service. GroupSystems OnLine is a knowledge automation service for ebusiness that enables team members, corporate partners, customers and stakeholders external to the organization to work together regardless of time or place.
Site offers psychologistdesigned surveys
CorporateSurvey.com, a Tulsa, Okla., consulting firm, has launched an Internet service providing on-line organizational survey products designed by industrial/organizational psychologists. These survey products can be administered on-line to employees and customers, and results viewed in real-time with on-line reporting tools. Survey products can be tailored to an organization’s needs. For additional information and an on-line demo survey visit www. corporate survey, com.
Harris Interactive adds to panel line-up
Harris Interactive, a Rochester, N.Y., research firm, has created four specialized panels for conducting research in the business-to-business market segment. These panels include individuals throughout the U.S. that make or influence purchases: 38,988 information technology purchasers; 27,818 telecommunications purchasers; 40,574 office equipment purchasers; 13,406 small-business owners and 15,206 people who run offices or businesses from home (SOHO). Harris Interactive screened its panel of more identify these individuals.
New delivery system from Nielsen//NetRatings
NewYork-based Nielserd/NetRatings, the measurement service from Nielsen Media Research and NetRatings, Inc., has announced My Nielsen// NetRatings, an information delivery system for its Web-based audience measurement and analytical reports. My Nielsen/NetRatings helps analysts and planners make informed business decisions and extract Internet data and analyze Web site and advertising information.
The new information delivery system streamlines the process of viewing Nielsen/NetRatings data and reports. In one centralized location, businesses can track their at-work and at-home Internet audience information and banner advertising, as well as data on other companies to conduct competitive analyses. My Nielsen/NetRatings personalized report settings are saved so that the data reports run each week and month are automatically pushed to the user’s desktop.
Through strategic partnerships between NetRatings, Nielsen Media Research and ACNielsen eRatings.com, the Nielsen/NetRatings audience measurement service collects real-time data from more than 85,000 panel members around the world. The U.S. panel sample consists of 43,000 at-home users and 7,000 at-work users. International panels are under development with more than 35,000 at home users currently being measured.
Simplified data mining tool debuts
Charlottesville, Va.-based MarketMiner Inc. has released MarketMiner Prophet, a data mining product. Like its sister products MarketMiner Express, MarketMiner Analyst, and MarketMiner Expert, MarketMiner Prophet requires no advanced knowledge of statistical analysis - just Windows 95, 98, or NT.
In 10 steps, MarketMiner imports the customer and prospect data, standardizes the addresses, performs geocoding, appends demographic enhancements, and performs an automated analysis, helping the user identify the most valuable customers, best prospects, key market segments, and other information, including a similarity measure between current customers and prospects.
After scoring the proposed prospect list, MarketMiner produces an analysis package including an executive summary, marketing recommendations, and a series of charts, tables and graphs reports identifying the optimum market segments, key variables, and the proposed campaign’s expected performance.
New QDA product from Tragon
Tragon Corp., Redwood City, Calif., has released its new Windows-based Interactive QDA (Quantitative Descriptive Analysis) software program, which features a menu-driven point-and-click format for analyzing results from sensory tests. The new program is based on the S-PLUS 4.5 statistical package using its data analysis and statistical modeling capabilities. Raw data may be easily imported into the program. Dialog boxes allow users the flexibility to choose statistical parameters for the analysis and subsequent reports and graphs. Graphical and numerical tools simplify panel performance tracking and measures differences among products. The program performs the standard QDA analyses such as analysis of variance, discriminant analysis, factor analysis, corrlations, and various mean separation tests.