This earnings call should be much more interesting than recent quarters in the wake of the analyst layoffs and Spring Symposium cancelation.
Gartner is on February 5th at 10:00 a.m. ET. The earnings call is a webcast that you can find on Gartner’s investor relations webpage.
I don’t listen to the Gartner and Forrester earnings calls with the same mindset as a financial analyst. What I listen for are clues to how the two publicly traded analyst firms are evolving their business models and research methodologies that might impact their clients, end user or vendor, especially when it comes to contract negotiations. I also listen to gather intelligence about their end-user client bases, which provides input into determining how their influence might be changing, which can be very useful for analyst relations teams. We will publishing summaries and analysis after each call is completed.
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Looking forward to your perspective on IT and FORR results. The information will be very useful for contract negotiations as well as assessing the current true value of investments in syndicated research, advisory services and programs. We should see more flexibility on pricing and marketing programs. Vendors should be able to exercise more control of deals in 2009, particularly with Gartner.
Carter – any reports on sentiment at the sales kick-offs or water coolers?