Ovum and Informa Telecoms & Media Research to merge
April 8, 2014. Ovum and Informa Telecoms & Media (ITM) Research, both divisions of Informa plc, announced their intention to combine under the Ovum brand, to create what Ovum calls the world’s largest telecoms industry research firm. The new company, which will also be the fourth-largest technology analyst house globally, will offer customers analysis across the converging IT, media, and telecoms industries. The combined organization will offer a suite of new research, market data, and consulting capabilities.
A multi-million pound investment program will see all complementary product portfolios merged, delivering 23 new or improved services across IT, media, and telecoms. IT and media research will also be significantly bolstered through the introduction of new channels covering telco IT, customer engagement, enterprise mobility, telco enterprise services, digital media, and music. A new state-of-the-art online delivery platform to house all research will also be launched.
The merged business, which will be fully integrated by the end of May, will be led by Steve Hotham, current managing director of Ovum, who will become its CEO. Spread across 23 offices, in six continents, Ovum will employ 275 staff, including 180 analysts providing a combination of global and local insight.
Hotham believes this move will meet the growing need for actionable market insight by vendors, service providers, and enterprises in the converging technology and media markets better than any other research firm.
“We are experiencing a time of tremendous change in the telecoms, IT, and media sectors, with convergence reshaping markets and creating major new business opportunities and challenges. Our customers need a research firm with deep insight into each of these markets that can provide a singular, interconnected view on industry transformation, future trends, and the impact on their businesses. By combining Ovum and ITM Research, we are assembling a unique team of readily accessible analysts, offering a comprehensive portfolio of research, data products and consulting services across telecoms, media, and IT,” he said.
Hotham will be supported by a senior management team drawn from both the merging organizations. With immediate effect, Ian Charlesworth becomes managing director for Ovum's IT research, alongside Tim Jennings as IT chief research officer. Martin Hill becomes managing director for Ovum's Telecoms & Media (T&M) research, with Mark Newman as T&M chief research officer and Richard Mahony and Rob Gallagher as research directors for telecoms and media and entertainment research, respectively.