Top resources Used During Technology Purchase Process

1. Recommend & Select Vendors

1.1. Product Testing/reviews/opinions

1.2. Product demo/ product literature

1.3. Analyst research (IDC, Gartner, Forester)

1.4. Interviews with technology experts

1.5. Technologie News
 Buyer’s guide

2. Sell Internally

2.1. ROI tool, other assessment tool

2.2. Product demo/ product literature

2.3. Analyst research (IDC, Gartner, Forester)

2.4. Product Testing/reviews/opinions

2.5. Feature article about trends, strategies, management

2.6. 
White papers

3. Authorize/Approve

3.1. ROI tool, other assessment tool

3.2. Product demo/ product literature

3.3. Analyst research (IDC, Gartner, Forester)

3.4. Case studies 
Interviews with technology experts

4. Source : IDG Enterprise, customer engagement May 2012

4.1. mindmap (http://tinyurl.com/m4vn2c4) made by http://fr.linkedin.com/in/fbiller/

5. Determine the Business Need

5.1. Feature article about trends, strategies, management

5.2. Technology news

5.3. Feature article about technologies

5.4. White papers

5.5. Cases Studies

6. Determine Technical Requirements

6.1. Feature article about technologies

6.2. How-to-content Information

6.3. Technology news

6.4. White papers

6.5. Interviews with technology experts

7. Evaluate Products / Services

7.1. Product Testing/reviews/opinions

7.2. Product demo/ product literature

7.3. How-to-content Information

7.4. White Papers

7.5. Technologie News
 Case Studies 
Analyst research (IDC, Gartner, Forester) Buyer's guides