Analyst Relations

Analyst Relations is a corporate communications and marketing activity in which corporations communicate with ICT industry analysts (also known as research analysts) who work for independent research and consulting firms.

Large corporations supplying technology (hardware, software, networking, and IT Services) usually have an Analyst Relations person or team (sometimes called industry relations). Their remit is to brief industry analysts about their company's strategy, products and services; help them with research requests; and generally try to persuade these influential third parties to represent them in the best possible light (to end user purchasers of IT products).

Analyst Relations often reports into the corporate communications function, although it can also report to marketing, investor relations, sales, or a number of other groups.

In June 2006, the Institute of Industry Analyst Relations was formed as a non-profit community of practice for Analyst Relations professionals.

Many ICT such as IBM, Oracle, SAP, BT, Tech Mahindra, Qualcomm, Epicor and Ericsson have analyst relations teams and/or officers who report into either corporate communications, corporate marketing and more rarely to the board or the head of sales.

It is important to note that in most cases Investor Relations is a separate department, though often also reporting to Corporate Communications, set up to handle relations with Financial Analysts as there are very specific rules pertaining to the disclosure of financial information.