Tech industry watchers feel economic pain

Tech industry stalwart Gartner cancels its cornerstone event scheduled for this spring, reduces its workforce by more than 100 and proves that IT watchers aren't immune to the economic turmoil that the vendors they cover and the clients they serve are facing.

Following a workforce reduction of 117 staff members earlier this month, Gartner confirmed this week that it would cancel this year's Spring Symposium/ITxpo events in Las Vegas and Barcelona.

"While a number of factors influenced this decision, the primary reason for the change is the current macro economic environment and its anticipated impact on attendee travel and overall event attendance," a Gartner spokesman stated in an e-mail. Gartner indicated it will go ahead with plans around autumn events at this time.

The research firm last week announced it would begin to cut staff as part of its "efforts to manage operating expenses." The positions were said to consist primarily of "non-quota bearing and non-client facing functions." Gartner stated in Form 8-K it filed last week with the US Securities and Exchange Commission it would complete notifications to affected employees by January 12, 2009.

Similar news quietly began to emerge from fellow industry watch groups this week. According to public reports, AMR Research confirmed it would cut its workforce by 10 percent. Analyst consulting firm SageCircle also posted on its blog reports of layoffs at Aberdeen Group. "SageCircle has received credible intelligence that Aberdeen Group initiated a job action resulting in analyst layoffs," the blog states.

And Yankee Group President and CEO Emily Green included in a blog item Thursday that the research firm is once again restructuring in the face of the economy. Yankee Group also conducted a workforce reduction August 2008.

"Given a reduced outlook for our growth this year, we have released a small number of Yankee Group staff. This includes two analysts, Dan Taylor and Jon Edwards," Green wrote. The firm reportedly reduced its staff by 15.

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