New York – On Nov. 5, Ned Davis Research, Inc. (NDR) and InfoExchange, Inc. (InfoEx) announced the availability of NDR’s research through the InfoEx information management platform. Ned Davis is one of the most respected strategic research firms in the independent research space. InfoEx’s research distribution platform is designed to connect buyside clients with content from a variety of available research providers; the platform aims to ensure the relevance of research delivered to users through matching algorithms and real-time user-profiling technology.
NDR’s research will only be made available to those InfoEx users who are already current clients of NDR. As such, it is unlikely that the availability of NDR’s research will add significant additional incentive for new clients (who are not already NDR subscribers) to sign onto InfoEx’s platform. Nevertheless, the deal promises to deliver increased value to common clients of NDR and InfoEx. InfoEx’s profiling and matching algorithms may help to ensure better targeting when it comes to delivering research to buy-side analysts and PMs, thereby increasing the utilization and the perceived value of research. After all, research that does not reach the client is of no use.
It is interesting to watch as more traditional research firms like NDR adapt to new ways of connecting with clients. Fundamental and strategic research providers now have the tools to provide highly customized, highly targeted, real time updates to clients – a significant change from the simple subscriber lists and blast emails of the past. It remains to be seen whether a business model can be developed that makes use of such customization to increase the monetization of research.