The VAR Guy

The trend is undeniable. Technology companies — from OnForce to Red Hat — are launching so-called indexes to track IT trends. Those indexes, in turn, generate considerable media buzz, cross links, mind share and search engine optimization (SEO) for the vendors involved. Here’s the scoop from The VAR Guy.

Sure, Symantec has long published an Internet Threat Security Report. But those types of in-depth reports can be dense and difficult to digest. (Yes, The VAR Guy has a short attention span.)

Eager to put a new twist on an old PR technique, technology companies are introducing indexes to track niche markets. For instance:

• Red Hat and Georgia Tech today unveiled the Open Source Index, which measures open source activity across 75 countries. (Check out the OSI map.)
• OnForce last year launched the OnForce Services Marketplace Index (OSMI), which tracks IT projects and engagements across North America. This April 14 2009 news release (PDF) explains the index, which is updated quarterly.
• Heck, even The VAR Guy understands the power of indexes; he has a hand in the SaaS 20 Stock Index — which tracks publicly held software as a service (SaaS) companies.

Want to be quoted? Want to sound like an expert in your core market? Take a look at your company’s target markets, and determine if there’s a way to build a unique index within that market. Then go viral with your messages. And be sure to include mash-ups: Maps, data points and other rich content that bring your findings to life.

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