Chris Barnard is vice president, European Telecommunications and Networking, at IDC. He joined the team in 2000 and is responsible for enterprise-focused research covering networking, fixed data and voice services, unified communications & collaboration, enterprise mobility, and related professional services.

Based in Amsterdam, Chris and IDC’s region-wide team of enterprise analysts focus on the major shifts taking place in this $100B market, as organizations move from physical, premise-based environments to services delivered via virtual and cloud solutions in a business world that is mobility-centric. Chris and team work very closely with a range of vendors, from industry leaders to start-ups, to identify the drivers and opportunities on offer in the areas of enterprise infrastructure and services.

With a personal research focus on enterprise transformation, he is the author of numerous white papers and trade press articles on professional services, convergence, unified communications, ebusiness, infrastructure, and networking strategies. He is widely quoted in the international technology and business press. In 2010, Chris was named telecoms analyst of the year by the Institute of Industry Analyst Relations (IIAR). He is frequently asked to speak at international industry conferences, customer events, and road shows.

In the late nineties he worked for three years at Montreal-based software company Essentus as special projects manager and customer support manager (Europe). Before joining this supply chain management vendor, he was employed by Fast Lane, an Oracle consultancy in the Netherlands. Chris, who holds a master's degree (cum laude) in social sciences from Stellenbosch University, also has six years' experience as a journalist and editor at various publications.

Follow Chris on Twitter @cbarnard_IDC.