Analyst firm Gartner Group has been offering free access to reports to assist firms damaged by the attack on the World Trade Center. However, despite a trend for analyst firms to offer free information, some users said that the free information lacked detail.
Gartner withdrew some of the restrictions on its Web site, allowing free access to some of its reports in the wake of the chaos in the US. "Many of our clients wouldn't have had their user name and password. Firms that weren't our clients would need advice. We wanted to provide whatever information was appropriate," said Simon Levin, vice president for Gartner's European site.
Other analyst firms such as Giga Group have also provided disaster recovery information on their Web sites. However, while the provision of information in a crisis was welcomed, some users said companies should not rely solely on free information.
One market research manager at a large network management firm said, "We pay a lot for our analyst research. I'm not convinced that the free information has enough detail."
Analyst firms rely on being able to charge for their expertise, though many are willing to provide certain information free -- often as a lure for later business. Examples include Durlacher, which has offered full reports for download, and Bloor Research, which provides news commentary through its IT Director Web site.
Oracle recently criticised Gartner for posting free reports online to stimulate its consultancy business.
