IT buyers’ views of technology vendors are shaped by a myriad of different inputs, which together create a ‘buzz’ of sentiment around each player. There are many ways of measuring buzz, both in the positive and negative sense, and in this latest refresh of the Register Buzz Report, we look at those companies that stand out from the crowd. For those at the top, the question is what’s behind their success. Meanwhile, do those languishing at the bottom really deserve to be there?

The IT industry ecosystem of sellers and buyers is quite unique in the world of business, combining real technological innovation and atrociously hyped snake oil in equal proportion. Some companies will invariably stand out from the rest. IT companies want to be talked about – but for the right reasons of course. Manufacturers talk to journalists who speak with analysts, and peers and colleagues read the press, research, and discuss among themselves. Together they create a level of sentiment around specific vendors that we call the ‘buzz’, combining the general aspect of mindshare with the more positively focused areas of leadership, culture and ethos.