Type Subsidiary of IDG Number of employees 1001-5000 employees CEO Kirk Campbell (1991–) Founded 1964 | Industry Market research Website idc.com Founder Patrick Joseph McGovern Parent organization International Data Group | |
Key people Kirk Campbell (President and CEO) Products Market intelligence, advisory services, events Headquarters Framingham, Massachusetts, United States Subsidiaries Financial Insights, IDC UK Ltd. Profiles | ||
International Data Corporation (IDC), an American market research, analysis and advisory firm, specializes in information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology, Software Development. A wholly owned subsidiary of the International Data Group (IDG). IDC has its headquarters in Framingham, Massachusetts, United States (U.S.). The corporation has approximately 70 offices grouped into Latin America, Middle East and Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, Europe, Asia/Pacific and the U.S. It employs over 1,100 analysts, who provide consultancy in relation to technology opportunities and trends for over 110 countries.
History
IDC was founded by Patrick Joseph McGovern in Massachusetts, in 1964. At the outset, the company produced a computer installation data base (based on a customer list purloined from IBM), and published a newsletter, "EDP Industry and Market Report" (modeled on "ADP Newsletter", which was published by The Diebold Group). Companies such as RCA, Univac, Xerox, and Burroughs paid IDC for use of the data base. During this time, Mcgovern continued to work as a writer for "Computers and Automation" magazine, the first computer magazine, published by Edmund C. Berkeley.
McGovern frequently described his having sold his old car for $5,000, to fund the startup of IDC, which is apocryphal. At the time, $5,000 was the purchase price of a new Cadillac.
Contrary to a published report in 1999, that the company had grossed $600,000 by its third year, it did in fact, have an income of $154,996. with a modest net profit of $2,961. McGovern was considering liquidating the company when he hit on the idea of launching Computerworld in 1967, which was a continuation of the monthly newsletter, published weekly instead of monthly, in a different format, with advertising, which became a cornerstone of IDG's subsequent publishing arm.
Subsequently, failing to wrest control of "Computers and Automation" magazine from his friend and mentor, Ed Berkeley, he left Berkeley and founded "PC World".
IDC has had major slips in forecasts. In 2011, IDC predicted Windows Phone to overtake iPhone in market share, but in reality Windows Phone is almost dead.