ISG said today it has acquired the business of Ventana Research, a leading technology research firm specializing in coverage of the $800 billion software industry.
The move expands the capabilities of ISG Research, an important and fast-growing recurring-revenue-stream business for ISG, at a time when enterprises increasingly are leveraging software and services in combination to improve operating performance, deliver better customer and employee experiences, and drive growth.
“With the addition of Ventana Research, ISG becomes a stronger global powerhouse in technology research,” said Connors. “We are famously known for our industry-leading coverage of the managed services sector, and now we are expanding and deepening our coverage of the all-important software industry. In addition to increasing our market research coverage, we see synergies to accelerate the growth of our Software Advisory business with enterprises.”
Citing ISG Index™ research, Connors noted that software-based XaaS solutions – both infrastructure-as-a service and software-as-a-service – account for more than 60 percent of global spending on IT and business services, up from 48 percent five years ago. “We expect spending on cloud-based, software-driven services to continue expanding in the coming years,” he said, “and with it, client demand for in-depth research and advice to guide software investment decisions.”
Ventana Research, founded in 2002 and based in Bend, Ore., tracks more than 2,000 software vendors and covers more than 250 of them in-depth to provide the industry’s most comprehensive analyst and research coverage of the global software sector. Its team of experienced professionals provides insights and expert guidance on mainstream and disruptive technologies through a unique set of research-based products, including an online community for business and IT professionals.
Third-Quarter 2023 Results
Reported revenues for the third quarter were a record $71.8 million, up 4.3 percent from $68.8 million in the prior year. Currency translation positively impacted reported revenues by $1.4 million versus the prior year. Reported revenues were $42.5 million in the Americas, up 1 percent; $22.1 million in Europe, up 14 percent; and $7.2 million in Asia Pacific, down 2 percent versus the prior year.
ISG reported third-quarter operating income of $6.2 million, down 16 percent from $7.4 million in the third quarter of 2022. Reported third-quarter net income was $3.2 million, down 42 percent from net income of $5.6 million in the prior year. Fully diluted earnings per share was $0.06, compared with $0.11 per fully diluted share in the prior year.
Adjusted net income (a non-GAAP measure defined below under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”) for the third quarter was $5.7 million, or $0.11 per share on a fully diluted basis, compared with adjusted net income of $7.2 million, or $0.14 per share on a fully diluted basis, in the prior year’s third quarter.
Third-quarter adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure defined below under “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”) was $10.6 million, essentially flat with the prior year.
Other Financial and Operating Highlights
ISG generated $3.2 million of cash from operations in the third quarter, compared with $0.3 million used from operations in the third quarter last year. The firm’s cash balance totaled $18.7 million at September 30, 2023, down from $19.6 million at June 30, 2023.
During the third quarter, ISG paid dividends of $2.3 million and repurchased $0.9 million of shares. As of September 30, 2023, ISG had $79.2 million in debt outstanding, unchanged from December 31, 2022. The firm’s gross-debt-to-adjusted-EBITDA ratio (a non-GAAP measure calculated by dividing outstanding debt by adjusted EBITDA) was 1.8 times.