Eligible Research Details
Excerpts of IDC content must be taken verbatim from an IDC source and must be used in a context that does not alter or distort the excerpt’s original meaning. Excerpts longer than a few sentences may require separate licensing fees.
Traditional IDC Research
IDC Market Forecasts
Permitted:
- Show first and last year market totals (ie. 2025, 2029) and the five-year CAGR
Required:
- Follow IDC Taxonomy. Market data must be represented within IDC’s market segmentation. Markets and sub-markets that are not recognized in IDC’s market taxonomy will not be approved. No special or custom market segmentations are permitted.
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date.
Avoid:
- Use of the IDC Executive Forecast Snapshot graphic
- Combining IDC data from separate forecasts will receive close examination and will likely be refused.
- Calculations based on IDC data will receive particularly close examination and will likely be refused.
IDC Trackers/QViews
Permitted:
- Data cited from the most recent IDC Tracker deliverable.
- Forecast: show first and last year market totals (ie. 2025, 2029) and the five-year CAGR
- Company (requestor) market share
- Top 3 or Top 5 vendor market shares (competitors must be anonymized in regions outside of WW/U.S.)
- The market position (share) for a company must be based on the Tracker field named Company and the company name(s) must be stated exactly as they appear in the Tracker (e.g., IBM, Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, etc.).
- Statements about market position should carefully distinguish between growth, market share, and market share gains. Growth and market share statements should be expressed as a percentage. Statements about market share leads, gains, or losses should be expressed in percentage points.
- In the event of a tie ranking, both companies will be allowed to claim the ranking (.ie. #1, #2) with tie language in the footnote.
Required:
- Follow IDC Taxonomy. Market data must be represented within IDC’s market segmentation. Markets and sub-markets that are not recognized in IDC’s market taxonomy will not be approved. No special or custom market segmentations are permitted.
- Time period, region, measurement (ie. vendor revenue, unit shipments, capacity etc.)
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC Quarterly NAME OF TRACKER Qx 2025.
Avoid:
- Use of the graphics generated under the “Views” section of the IDC Tracker Query Tool including all charts marked INTERNAL USE ONLY
- Combining IDC data from separate forecasts will receive close examination and will likely be refused.
- Calculations based on IDC data will receive particularly close examination and will likely be refused. If approved, calculations can’t be sourced directly to IDC. Required sourcing would be – Company x analysis based on IDC data.
- Head-to-Head comparisons with one competitor
- Picking and choosing what vendors to show
- Claims must be made at the Company filter level. No brand claims are allowed.
- IDC Tracker analysts may not be quoted in press releases about IDC Tracker results
- Using Preliminary data. This is internal use only.
IDC Spending Guides
Permitted:
- Data cited from the most recent IDC Spending Guide deliverable.
- Limit the amount of data shown (ideally one or two data points, e.g. either first or last year of forecast and five-year CAGR)
- When showing multiple data points (e.g. Sectors or Industries), graphs and charts are preferable to data tables.
- Vertical industries must align exactly with IDC’s standard published data, and whenever a different aggregation is applied, it needs to be defined in a footnote, referring to IDC standard industry taxonomy.
Required:
- Follow IDC Taxonomy. Market data must be represented within IDC’s market segmentation. Markets and sub-markets (including sectors, industries, or sub-industries, company size bands, or use cases) that are not recognized in IDC’s market taxonomy will not be approved. No special or custom market segmentations are permitted.
- Time period, geography, measurement (i.e. spending with currency, or % share, or % growth)
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC NAME OF SPENDING GUIDE Vx 2025.
Avoid:
- Use of the graphics generated under the “Views” section of the IDC Tracker Query Tool including all charts marked INTERNAL USE ONLY
- Combining IDC data from separate forecasts will receive close examination and will likely be refused.
- Calculations based on IDC data will receive particularly close examination and will likely be refused. If approved, calculations can’t be sourced directly to IDC. Required sourcing would be – Company x analysis based on IDC data.
- Picking and choosing what industries to show in order to provide a ranking that doesn’t accurately represent IDC’s view of the market
IDC Vendor Profiles
Permitted:
- Clients of the service can quote a limited amount of content verbatim from the report
Required:
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing from the report
- Press releases focused on announcing Vendor Profile inclusio
IDC Market Glance
Permitted:
- A company can say they were included in the IDC Market Glance and what category they were included in.
- Use of the IDC Market Glance logo slide (unaltered)
Required:
- Proper sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Any “recognition, ranking or featured” references. This is not any kind of recognition or leadership claim.
- Press releases focused on announcing IDC Market Glance inclusion
IDC ProductScape/IDC ServiceScape
Permitted:
- Vendors who are clients of the program the IDC ProductScape/ IDC ServiceScape is published under may quote verbatim from their vendor slide.
- Vendors included in the report can say they were included in an IDC ProductScape/IDC ServiceScape.
Required:
- The use of slides from an IDC ProductScape/ IDC ServiceScape requires the purchase of an excerpt and that excerpt must be used in full.
Avoid:
- No recognition, ranking, top marks or score rankings can be made based on the results of an IDC ProductScape/IDC ServiceScape.
- IDC does not allow PR focused on IDC ProductScape/ IDC ServiceScape results.
- Slides may not be pulled from the excerpt and used individually.
- No mentions of competitors’ results or names will be allowed.
- Capability bubble charts are not any kind of ranking or scoring. They represent whether or not a company has fully, partially etc. those specific capabilities in their products. These slides may not be used standalone.
IDC MarketScape
Permitted:
- Every company included in the IDC MarketScape can announce their position in the report (with review and approval by IDC Permissions)
- IDC clients of the research program the IDC MarketScape is published in can only quote two verbatim sentences from the report.
- Use of claim for the positioned category with phrasing such as “Company A was named a Leader or a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape: doc name”.
- “IDC MarketScape” may be used in the headline or subhead of client PR on IDC MarketScapes. This is an exception to our normal guidelines.
- IDC logo can be used in client marketing collateral. Collateral should be in client’s brand. Client logo should be at the top of all collateral. IDC logo can be at the bottom of the collateral and 50 to 75 percent smaller than the client logo.
- A press release focused on announcing IDC MarketScape position
- Vendors are allowed to say if they were named a Vendor to Watch in external promotional materials
Required:
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC MarketScape, doc name, doc # and pub date
- Position the company was included in
- When using the IDC MarketScape graphic externally the following must be used – standard descriptive text, IDC copyright included in the graphic file and full sourcing.
- IDC MarketScape boilerplate for IDC MarketScape press releases
Avoid:
- No badges are allowed for IDC MarketScape promotion. IDC also does not provide them.
- No mention of rankings or ratings.
- No use of phrases like “stands out, sets us apart etc.”
- No use of “the Leader”, “Leads”, “Leading,” “leads the way” etc.
- No use of “wins” or “awarded”
- No comparisons or naming of competitors included in the report or competitive products by name
- No superlatives like “highest, best, top” etc.
- No paraphrasing from the report.
- No mentions of scores. Scores are internal use only
- No mention of where the company is in the graphic other than to say the category included in.
- IDC MarketScape graphic can’t be used in the Distributed version that goes over the wire.
- IDC MarketScape graphic requires excerpt and graphic rights purchase. It can’t be altered in any way.
- Creating your own version of the IDC MarketScape graphic. It’s not allowed.
- IDC can’t appear in the subject line of client emails
IDC Innovators
Permitted:
- All companies included in an IDC Innovators report can say they were “named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: REPORT NAME HERE.
- A Press Release is allowed on announcing IDC Innovator recognition.
- Use of the IDC Innovators badge (regardless of purchase)
- Use of IDC Innovators in the headline or subhead of client PR (this is an exception to our normal guidelines)
- IDC logo or IDC Innovators badge can be used in client marketing collateral. Collateral should be in client’s brand. Client logo should be at the top of all collateral. IDC logo can be at the bottom of the collateral and 50 to 75 percent smaller than the client logo.
- Clients of the research program where the report is published may quote two verbatim sentences from the report.
Required:
- IDC Innovator boilerplate must be used in IDC Innovator PR
- Full sourcing in this format – IDC Innovators: report name, doc # and pub date
- Use the phrasing “named an IDC Innovator”
Avoid:
- Mentions of ranking
- Superlatives like “highest, best, top” etc.
- No paraphrasing from the report
IDC FutureScape
Permitted:
- Clients of the service can quote a limited amount of content verbatim from the report
- Use the IDC FutureScape graphic in marketing materials etc. as-is, unaltered
Required:
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing from the report
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC FutureScapes (not allowed)
IDC PlanScape
Permitted:
- Clients of the service can quote a limited amount of content verbatim from the report
- Use the IDC PlanScape graphic in marketing materials etc. as-is, unaltered
Required:
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing from the report
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC PlanScapes (not allowed)
IDC TechScape
Permitted:
- Clients of the service can quote a limited amount of content verbatim from the report
- Use the IDC TechScape graphic in marketing materials etc. as-is, unaltered
Required:
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing from the report
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC TechScapes (not allowed)
IDC MaturityScape
Permitted:
- Clients of the service can quote a limited amount of content verbatim from the report
- Use the IDC MaturityScape graphic in marketing materials etc. as-is, unaltered
Required:
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing from the report
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC MaturityScapes (not allowed)
IDC Market Perspective
Permitted:
- Clients of the service can quote a limited amount of content verbatim from the report
Required:
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing from the report
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC Market Perspectives (not allowed)
IDC Market Note
Permitted:
- Clients of the service can quote a limited amount of content verbatim from the report
Required:
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing from the report
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC Market Notes (not allowed)
IDC Link
Permitted:
- Clients of the service can quote two to three verbatim sentences from the IDC Link.
Required:
- Full sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
- Verbatim sentences
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing
- Using more than two to three verbatim sentences without purchasing web rights
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC Links (not allowed)
IDC Survey Spotlight
Permitted:
- Clients of the service can use one slide (as-is) from the Survey spotlight without incurring additional fees
- Quoting from one slide
Required:
- Full footnoted sourcing in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Using both slides if they have not been licensed for web rights
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC Survey Spotlights (not allowed)
IDC Market Analysis Perspective
Permitted:
- Use for internal planning purposes
- Quoting research that has originally been published in another IDC published document (ie. forecast or market share report)
Required:
- Sourcing the original report publication of the data in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC Market Analysis Perspectives (not allowed)
IDC Multi-Client Studies (MCS)
Permitted:
- Clients who have either sponsored the IDC Multi-Client Study (MCS) or have purchased the study may quote verbatim from it externally after the embargo period has been lifted.
Required:
- Sourcing the original report publication of the data in this format – IDC Multi-Client Study, doc name and pub date
Avoid:
- Paraphrasing from the study
- Press Releases focused on announcing IDC Multi-Client Studies (not allowed)
IDC Awards
IDC SaaS and CSAT Awards
Permitted:
- Recognized vendors ARE encouraged to include “Winner of the IDC’s 2020 SaaS Award for xxxx” <TECH/TOPIC NAME FROM DOCUMENT TITLE>” in the headline and/or sub-headline of their press releases, but “IDC” cannot be used alone in accordance with IDC’s existing content usage guidelines. In lieu of using IDC in the press release headline, recipients may use “Leading Analyst Firm” or “Market Research Firm”.
- An IDC client of the CIS service in which the report in published may take advantage of the following benefits—
- Say they won the IDC 2020 SaaS and Cloud CSAT Award (requires appropriate attribution)
- Request and use a quote from an IDC analyst in a press release
- In a Press Release, a non-client of the IDC CIS service may take advantage of the following benefits—
- Say they won the IDC 2020 SaaS and Cloud CSAT Award (requires appropriate attribution)
Required:
- Companies should refer to themselves as being “Awarded IDC’s 2020 SaaS Award for Customer Satisfaction” or as “a winner of IDC’s 202x MARKET NAME Award for Customer Satisfaction.”
- A full source must appear somewhere in the press release, marketing materials etc. in this format – IDC, doc name, doc # and pub date.
- The use of the “IDC Award” logo requires purchasing a package.
- Full source details (document title, doc number, and publication date – e.g., IDC 2025 SaaS and Cloud CSAT Award: title, (Doc# xxxxxx), Month 202x).
Avoid:
- Category and Certification Programs should not be presented as a stack or comparative ranking in any respect. There is no “number 1” designation associated with these programs.
- No superlative or comparative wording, such as “only,” “highest,” “top,” “sole,” etc., will be permitted in describing a client’s receipt of a Certification Award.
- IDC will decline any attempt to use an IDC Category or Certification Award as an endorsement (real or implied) of that vendor’s products/services, its position in the market, or its position relative to other vendors.
- Direct comparisons to or naming of competitors or competitive products will not be approved.
IDC FinTech Rankings
Permitted:
- Companies ranked in the IDC FinTech Rankings list can issue a press release announcing their rank in the list.
- IDC clients of the Financial Insights program can request a custom analyst quote
- Non-clients of IDC Financial Insights will be given the option to use a pre-developed quote.
Required:
- Wait until the IDC FinTech Rankings list has been published to IDC.com. Your press release can be published (after review by IDC Permissions) on or after that day.
Avoid:
- Using the IDC logo if you did not purchase an IDC FinTech Rankings logo package
Sponsored IDC Custom Solutions Research
Published IDC sponsored research includes products with a published deliverable ie. IDC White Papers, IDC InfoBrief, IDC Spotlight, IDC Analyst Connection, IDC Analyst Brief, IDC Technology Spotlight, IDC Business Value White Papers, IDC InfoSnapshots, IDC Infographics and Thought Leadership IDC White Papers.
- IDC content licensed to a client cannot be distributed by any client’s partner(s) without an additional partner license.
- For IDC sponsored products and papers, the source must include the name of the sponsor, as follows: IDC White Paper, Sponsored by Vendor X, Title of White Paper, Doc. #xxxxxx, Publication Date. Alternative examples would also include:
IDC InfoBrief, Sponsored by Vendor X, Title of InfoBrief, Doc. #xxxxxx, Publication Date - Sponsored research must always be identified as such by including “sponsored by or commissioned by” when referencing the research.
- No “in partnership,” “in collaboration with,” or “brought to you by” or similar language references will be allowed
- All quotes should be verbatim sentences or data points from the deliverables.
- Derivative content created by the client (like Infographics, articles etc.) can only be 30 percent IDC research. The rest has to come from somewhere else. IDC research must be properly sourced in a footnote.
- IDC does not allow clients to issue press releases focused on sponsored content. The only exception to this rule are IDC White Papers or IDC InfoBriefs that are thought leadership and 100 percent vendor neutral.
Digital Content
IDC Digital Content includes all custom deliverables that are hosted by IDC online and provided via a unique URL.
As with other sponsored content, IDC Digital Content products are licensed assets with a set license period, during which they are available for public use. At the end of the license period the content will no longer be hosted, unless the license period is renewed.
Standard IDC URLs are secured and deployed for Digital Papers and IDC MarketScape excerpts belong to IDC as part of the license period.
Specialized domain name purchases for iViews and Lead Generation tools are secured by IDC for the duration of the license period. The domain is transferable to the client at the end of the normal 12-month license if a client chooses to use it for purposes not associated with IDC.
Examples include…
- iViews
- Lead Generation Tools
- Interactive Selling Tools
- Business Value Snapshot Tools
- Digital Papers
- Videos
- Video content developed by IDC will be delivered via embed code for all projects unless stated otherwise in the statement of work. Clients can use this embed code to deliver the IDC video to any audience they choose per the contract.
- Clients are not authorized to edit or cut any IDC video without prior approval or permission from IDC.
- All landing pages where the video will be displayed need to be sent to IDC Permissions for prior approval before going live.
- IDC encourages clients to develop marketing assets to support and drive awareness of IDC Digital Content. All marketing support collateral is required to be submitted to IDC Permissions for approval and verification before final use.
- Clients may quote from IDC Digital Content, provided the reference is not part of any dynamic output. References must be approved by IDC Permissions.
- All performance marketing insights and analysis provided are in the aggregate and for internal use only.
- IDC does not allow the creation of Derivative Content based on the output of Digital Content as this content is dynamic and based on individual inputs.