28 Oct 2015

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., October 28, 2015 – International Data Corporation (IDC) today announced expanded research coverage for six key technology markets, known as "Innovation Accelerators." The technology areas that will receive additional research focus are: Internet of Things (IoT), Cognitive Systems, Next Gen Security, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Robotics, and 3D Printing.

IDC believes the information technology industry is entering the most critical period yet in the 3rd Platform era: the "Innovation Stage," defined by an explosion of innovation and value creation on top of the 3rd Platform's foundation of cloud, mobile, social, and big data technologies. The innovation stage will be driven by a new wave of core technologies — Innovation Accelerators — that radically extend the 3rd Platform's capabilities and applications.

"Innovation accelerators are the next wave of 3rd Platform technologies that are critical to digital transformation," said Crawford Del Prete, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Research Products & Chief Research Officer. "The adoption of these technologies will drive digital transformation by opening new revenue streams, creating information-based organizations, and changing the way work is performed. Together, these forces are contributing to a once in a generation structural shift in the IT industry itself."

IDC's expanded coverage of the Innovation Accelerators will include six dedicated global research programs with worldwide forecasts, vertical use cases, and leading vendor profiles along with companion spending guides. The six spending guides will provide a more granular view of each market by vertical industry from a regional, industry, use case, buyer and technology perspective. The spending guides will be delivered via pivot table format or custom query tool that allows the user to easily extract meaningful information about each market by viewing data trends and relationships.

The combination of market research, case studies, and detailed spending data is designed to address the needs of IT professionals and IT suppliers alike, as both will need to integrate innovation accelerators into their business strategy and product offerings. Right now business leaders are being challenged to move their enterprises to the next level by employing digital technologies coupled with organizational, operational, and business model innovation to create new ways of operating and growing businesses. Some enterprises are transforming their entire organization while others are focusing on a single functional area to start. Companies that can't make it off the 2nd Platform will struggle to survive. Meanwhile, IT suppliers serving the needs of enterprises driven by digital transformation will have to create new technologies, develop new partners, and adopt a new scale of doing business to be successful.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC.

Contact For more information, contact:

Michael Shirer press@idc.com 508-935-4200