Gartner has acquired AMR Research for $64 million, further tightening Gartner’s grip on the analyst world. Gartner is the leading IT Research firm with annual sales of $1.28 billion.
AMR Research is a long time research and advisory services that specializes in serving supply chain management and IT professionals. It’s a far smaller operation than Gartner. Last year the firm did $40 million in revenues. The firm has 40 analysts.
Bruce Richardson of AMR points out that Gartner is about 32 times the size of AMR with 60,000 clients inside 10,000 organizations.
What this means for Gartner is an expansion of tis research offerings. Gartner says it will also extend the company’s consulting and events business.
AMR is reaching out to its customers today, saying it will be business as usual until January 1 when “integration,” will begin in earnest. That’s according to a letter from Tony Frisca, president and CEO at AMR.
Richardson points out that benefits will come with scale. AMR will write to a much larger audience. They will have stronger global reach. They will reach into more verticals.
Richardson, who is generally viewed as AMR’s most high profile analyst, will stay with Gartner which he looks forward to in an amusing way:
“While it will be a bit odd not to have the Advanced Manufacturing Research or AMR Research logos grace my business cards and PowerPoint templates, at least I will never again be introduced as being from “American Market Research” or “ARM.” Everyone knows Gartner.”
The acquisition is expected to be completed later this month.
