IDC's Pricing Evaluation Service: Services product provides technology and services vendors with the intelligence and competitive price analysis necessary to create winning price and positioning strategies. The product provides detailed analysis of current and future price trends and access to robust analysis tools. Through IDC's Pricing eValuator Web site, clients can access real-time pricing, promotions, and specifications for select services topic areas - installation, maintenance, warranties and support, and training - or may opt for a compilation of all topic areas.

This product covers the following segments of the IT services market:

• Installation
• Maintenance
• Warranties and support
• Training

Throughout the year, this product will address the following topics:

• Impact of pricing on emerging delivery methods
• Opportunities in a maturing market
• Winners and losers in the protracted price war
• Vendor pricing profiles
• Emerging pricing trends

Our research addresses the following issues that are critical to your success:

1. What are the defining issues and predictors of pricing over the next year?
2. Which vendors initiate/dominate price leadership in the marketplace?
3. Given its complexity, what is an accurate and true comparison of pricing in IT services?
4. What are key vendor strategies for determining price position, and how can vendors maximize their own price position?

IDC's Pricing Evaluation Service: Services product examines how vendors are positioning themselves to compete in the IT services market. IDC analyzes the services strategies, competitive positioning, financial viability, and overall strategic direction of major players in the market. Examples of companies tracked include Cisco, EMC, Fujitsu Services, HP, IBM, and Xerox.

Internet access to data and analysis tools is provided via IDC's Pricing eValuator Web site. The tools and services available to clients include the following:

• Price and specifications database includes list-, street-, and distributor-level pricing as well as specifications, historical pricing, and services availability information.
• Market monitor provides continuous analysis of the pricing marketplace by integrating real-time pricing with written spot analysis.
• Promotions database includes detailed information on current promotions and rebates. Full promotion descriptions, pricing, and valid offer dates are included.
• IDC updates detail price and promotion changes and new service announcements as they happen, emphasizing fast delivery of pricing data so clients can react rapidly.
• Custom consulting is available for special projects.
• Easy-to-use configuration builder and services comparison tools are available.

As a privately held company, IDC believes that our customers are our primary constituency. A large percentage of every revenue dollar is reinvested back into our products, including more analysts, more geographic coverage, and extensive primary research.

Our steady growth over the past 10-plus years reflects our commitment to investing in our customers.