Megha Kumar heads the software research and advisory practice at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.  She joined IDC in 2007 and has since undertaken various research and consulting engagements for both global and regional ICT firms, as well as for public sector organizations. She regularly provides insights on market dynamics, vendor strategies, and end-user trends across the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. As a research manager, she has been responsible for managing and delivering projects across technology areas such as information security, storage, enterprise applications, databases, analytics, Big Data, and mobility, and she frequently engages with the vendor community to advise on market and competitive strategies.

In addition to research, Kumar has aided vendors with go-to-market engagements to improve market awareness and provide end users with essential guidance on technology adoption and best practices.  She interacts with CIOs and IT decision makers across the region through interviews and discussions to better understand end-user technology preferences, priorities, and concerns.

Kumar presents at various industry and vendor conferences, and is the lead speaker for IDC's regional IT Security Roadshow. She is often quoted in the media, providing opinions on emerging markets and technologies. 

Prior to joining IDC, Kumar worked as an analyst for a Dubai-based real estate firm, analyzing market trends and working on marketing plans for upcoming developments. Aside from experience at a startup software firm in Dubai, she has also worked on research projects in Canada covering business and social concerns.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Marketing from York University, Canada.