Migrated from eDJGroupInc.com. Author: Barry Murphy. Published: 2012-10-04 05:00:57Format, images and links may no longer function correctly. It is time to confirm that the rumors are true – the eDJ Group will be launching the subscription research site eDiscoveryMatrix.com in early October.
eDJ Group is now the only research firm with analysts writing, producing and analyzing data, and working in the trenches on current, granular eDiscovery issues.
With the launch of this new site, eDJ Group will have the ability to distribute research reports to all subscribers rather than simply selling them a la carte.
Allow me to take one step back, though, and describe the role of an industry analyst and why the eDiscoveryMatrix and our role in this industry are significant.
Wikipedia’s definition of an industry analyst is spot-on: “An industry analyst performs primary and secondary market research within an industry such as information technology, consulting or insurance. Analysts assess sector trends, create segment taxonomies, size markets, prepare forecasts, and develop industry models.” In addition, analysts perform advisory services, helping both practitioners and solution providers to better understand various markets.
Many people are familiar with the big industry analysts – Gartner and Forrester Research. In full disclosure, I, in fact, used to be an analyst at Forrester Research. Both companies produce great research, have heavy influence with CIOs, and cover a huge breadth of research topics. Still, eDiscovery and information governance (IG) require a level of focus and granularity impossible for any one, single analyst to cover. That is why Greg Buckles and I got together to pool our vast resources of eDiscovery knowledge and insight – and over the last year we have been able to recruit other thought leaders with significant experience, like Jason Velasco and Mikki Tomlinson, to create an analyst firm that can cover eDiscovery at the depth it requires.
This is where eDJ Group and our working analyst model come in – eDJ Group will cover the eDiscovery market at a very granular level. Our reports will be both strategic and very, very tactical in nature.
In the Matrix, eDJ’s coverage of solution providers will get to the nitty-gritty; we currently track over 250 individual features and functions that solution providers offer. The launch of eDiscoveryMatrix.com will expand coverage to service providers in our industry in addition to technology providers. Over the coming months, more functionality will be rolled out with this matrix, such as: making analyst’s notes available to subscribers; the ability for users to follow specific offerings and stay updated on any changes; and the ability to ask questions of other eDiscovery professionals.
Of course, it is incredibly hard to categorize all the solutions in the eDiscovery market and to do so in a way that resonates with everyone. Your feedback on how we present solutions and categorize them will be critical. You will see a feedback button all over the site and we encourage you to use it. The goal is to help eDiscovery professionals quickly get the information necessary to be successful on the job.
The goal is to expose more and more analyst knowledge to subscribers of our research.
You might be asking yourself: what does all this mean? And, how do I differentiate eDJ Group, the eDiscoveryMatrix and the eDiscoveryJournal? The eDiscoveryMatrix is an analyst tool exposed to eDiscovery professionals that are members of the site. Members will be able to find and compare solutions, share knowledge with others, and access research created by eDJ Group analysts.
Fear not, eDJ Group’s analysts will continue to regularly contribute to eDiscoveryJournal in the form of articles and speaking on webinars. And, the Journal will continue to remain a free resource. Analysts will use the Journal as way to socialize new ideas and share previews of data and survey results. With Marilyn Gladden now running business operations at the Journal, you can expect a lot more exciting new programs and content on the way. The eDiscoveryMatrix takes the Journal one step further, with formal reports and deeper analysis of survey data. eDJ Group analysts will share notes about solutions on the eDiscoveryMatrix, adding valuable insight for Members and giving Members access to eDJ Group analysts as needed.
This is a very exciting time for us and we thank you for continuing to read our work and interact with us. This is still the most interesting market in the world and we love covering it. Our main goal is to produce valuable content that helps eDiscovery professionals do their jobs better. Look for an announcement soon about the new site going live.