Industry Veteran in Analytics and Information Management Technologies David Menninger Joins Ventana Research

PLEASANTON, CA, September 27, 2010 (Press-News.org) Ventana Research announced today that industry leader David Menninger has joined the company as vice president and research director focused on the exploding analytics industry and business intelligence and information management technologies. Menninger brings to Ventana Research more than two decades of experience, during which time he has marketed and brought to market some of the leading edge technologies for helping organizations analyze data and support a range of decision-making and action-oriented processes.

Prior to joining Ventana Research, Menninger was the vice president of marketing and product management at Vertica Systems, one of the leading vendors of scalable analytical database technologies. Earlier he also served as the vice president of marketing and product management at Oracle, Applix, InforSense and IRI Software.

"We are ecstatic about David Menninger joining our team," said Mark Smith, Ventana Research CEO and EVP of Research. "With his decades of experience he will bring new research and insights to the industry while providing world-class advice to clients worldwide to separate hype from reality in regards to vendors and products. I have witnessed David's work bringing valuable technologies to market that help organizations across all industries transform their businesses using data and analytics in a range of server-based products and front-end tools."

At Ventana Research, David will direct research and education on a range of technologies including analytics, business intelligence and information management; he also will take responsibility for analyses of the impacts of cloud computing, collaboration and mobile technologies on these market segments. Menninger will lead cutting-edge research into the role of these technologies across IT and business functions, while also providing assistance to chief information officers (CIO) in making critical investment decisions regarding investments in the offerings of giant software vendors such as IBM, Oracle and SAP as well as more focused vendors like Informatica, MicroStrategy and Teradata.

Menninger will be responsible for servicing Ventana Research clients across business and IT, ensuring they benefit from the company's world-class education and research through workshops, assessments and the new fact- and education-based advisory service called Ventana OnDemand. He will also be responsible for leading benchmark research and vendor and product analysis and comparison called Ventana Research Value Index.

"With more than 20 years of experience as the head of product management, I've been analyzing end-user requirements, competitive landscapes and new trends in the IT industry for some of the world's leading enterprise software companies," Menninger said. "Becoming part of Ventana Research is a great opportunity to share that experience with both end users and IT organizations. The recent consolidation of technology vendors and larger research firms creates the need for an independent voice with the experience, reputation and depth of research and coverage that Ventana Research offers."

Those that want to gain access to David Menninger's industry insights and advice can set up an inquiry through client services or sign up for research- and advisory-based Ventana OnDemand Services. David can be found on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/dmenningervr at @dmenningervr and on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmenninger/ and reached via email at david dot menninger at ventanaresearch.com. You can learn more about Ventana Research on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1625427.

About Ventana Research
Ventana Research is the leading benchmark research and business technology advisory services firm. We provide insight and expert guidance on trends and mainstream and disruptive technologies. Our unparalleled insights and best practices guidance are based on our rigorous research-based benchmarking of people, processes, information and technology across business and IT functions worldwide. The combination we offer of benchmark research, market coverage and in-depth knowledge of hundreds of technology providers means we can deliver business and technology education and expertise to our clients where and when needed to reduce the time requirements, cost and risk of technology investments. Ventana Research provides the most comprehensive analyst and research coverage in the industry; the many business and IT professionals worldwide who are members of our community benefit from Ventana Research's insights, as do highly regarded media and association partners around the globe. Our views and analyses are distributed daily through blogs and social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Business Week's Business Exchange. Ventana Research was ranked the #1 analyst firm you can trust in enterprise software for 2009 for its relevance to the industry. To learn how Ventana Research advances the maturity of organizations use of information and technology through benchmark research, education and advisory services, visit www.ventanaresearch.com.

Media Contact: Marisela Reynoso (925) 474-0060 marketing@ventanaresearch.com