When we started SDxCentral, the technology supplier prospecting model was based on programmatic ads, content syndication, account-based marketing (ABM), and ICP-based lead generation. Emerging companies used that model with great success to disrupt legacy technology suppliers.
This playbook is becoming increasingly ineffective. Why? Because every vendor, big and small, is running the exact same playbook on the same MarTech stack, using the same fragmented, siloed media sites and enriching their data with the same outdated, commoditized intent data.
The playbook has devolved into a numbers game, churning out vast amounts of top-of-funnel leads that require huge amounts of resources that largely go nowhere. There has to be a better way.
Changing buyer needs: Current approaches don’t help buyers make a decision
When I started as a network operator, making technology decisions was easy. There were a relatively small number of options that provided complete solutions in my networking silo. Today, the disaggregation of hardware, software, services, and deep interdependence across compute, storage, networking, and security has made decisions infinitely more complicated. There are more solutions than ever before and IT leaders must make informed choices across diverse technology domains while aligning with priorities set by corporate boards and C-level executives. This is further compounded by technical debt, skill shortages, and an ever-increasing need for speed.
The result? The tools, websites, and data used to make tech decisions are insufficient. Most resources remain siloed around specific technologies and are dominated by large vendor marketing, leaving IT decision makers with incomplete, inaccurate, and dated information.
This isn’t just my opinion; it also comes from an SDxCentral member survey. Our members identified critical items needed to help them make informed decisions in less time:
- Competitor and peer insights
- Information on technology solutions and adoption trends
- A comprehensive view of the entire market landscape beyond the largest companies
- Authoritative, trusted, neutral definitions and glossary content
- Diverse perspectives on solving industry challenges
SDxCentral’s mission is twofold:
- Enable enterprises to make informed technology decisions faster to accelerate business advancement via technology transformation
- Deliver actionable insights to marketers to enable them to identify and influence new and existing revenue opportunities in a clear and measurable way
A new way to identify revenue opportunities
We needed to rethink how we could bridge our audience’s needs and the needs of technology suppliers to provide both the insights they need to drive their respective businesses forward. We realized we needed a new approach that would enable us to:
- Democratized engagement between supplies and vendors by scaling to cover thousands of companies, associations, events, projects, and standards bodies
- Produce actionable insights from that engagement in a way that intent data fails
- Arm our IT decision-makers with the information they need to quickly make informed, cross-functional decisions that lead to premium outcomes
In addition, we needed to rethink the data we collected and how to deliver it in a timely manner to influence sales opportunities with real in-market buyers with budget, focusing on turning billions of data points into actionable, consumable insights.
Introducing StringerAI: Your key to informed decisions
We’ve transformed SDxCentral from a media company into a software company.
StringerAI™ is our purpose-built software platform that powers SDxCentral. StringerAI sources, curates, and publishes relevant information. It personalizes content based on interests, infers technology trends, and recommends actions. In addition, it generates actionable insights on in-market buyers related to your active sales deals and potential new opportunities you need to influence.
Developed over the last five years, StringerAI is built in-house, powered by private internally developed artificial intelligence (AI) models, machine learning (ML) algorithms, and billions of exclusive enterprise engagement data collected on SDxCentral over the last 13 years.
StringerAI empowers your marketing and sales organizations to allocate resources and focus campaign efforts with confidence, reducing inefficiencies to help you find, support, and close deals faster.
StringerAI is the foundation technology behind our flagship products:
- SDxAccess: The new SDxCentral membership that includes expanded features and content access
- SDxMarketplace: The evolution of the SDxCentral directory that adds fresh insights to our established company pages and new functionality for research organizations (with a Pro version designed specifically for technology suppliers and agencies).
- Decision Insights: Interconnected campaigns that generate insights to identify in-market accounts and buyer trends to support active sales opportunities and identify new ones before the competition
SDxAccess: A new way to engage with SDxCentral
SDxAccess grants you access to powerful tools and resources to keep anyone working in the technology space ahead in the ever-evolving IT landscape. With the tools available via SDxAccess, IT leaders can:
- Get real-time information on technology solutions and adoption trends based on quantitative analysis and expert insights
- Find news, updates, and analysis about the entire market, not just the largest companies
- Work to close skill gaps with trustworthy definitions and glossary content
- Read diverse perspectives on solving industry challenges from peers, competitors, and independent experts
SDxAccess gives decision-makers the tools to make timely, informed decisions, enabling you to focus on delivering outcomes that drive your business forward.
Exclusive member-only features
- Emails
- SDxBriefing: Your weekly digest of the most important news, trends, and analysis across all IT domains
- SDxInsider: Deeper insights with exclusive interviews, case studies, and success stories from industry leaders
- SDxConfidential: Stay ahead with confidential reports and early access to special editions, providing a competitive edge
- Nominate a Company or Open-Source Project: Have a company or project you think should be listed in the SDxCentral Marketplace? Submit your nomination directly through your SDxAccess account
- Event Listings: Add your event to the SDxCentral Marketplace
- Push Notifications: Stay informed with real-time updates and alerts directly from SDxCentral
- Saved Articles: Easily bookmark and revisit important content that matters to you
- SDxIntel (Beta): Research what peers, competitors, and supplies are doing in the market to stay competitive
Introducing SDxMarketplace
SDxMarketplace features more than 2,000 technology providers, open-source projects, and industry events in a single place. It includes deep, continuously updated information on each entry, making it a critical research aid during the decision-making process. SDxMarketplace guides decision-makers to quickly create their day-one list based on trustworthy, complete information.
Here’s what SDxMarketplace offers:
- 2,000+ Technology Providers: Access a diverse range of technology providers – from industry leaders to emerging innovators
- Open-Source Projects: Stay ahead with the latest in open-source technology, featuring in-depth listings of projects shaping the future of IT infrastructure.
- Foundations, Associations, and Standards Bodies: Explore detailed listings for open-source foundations, trade associations, and standards bodies, offering insights into the organizations driving industry standards
- Industry Events: Keep up with critical industry events, from major conferences to specialized gatherings, all curated to ensure decision-makers stay informed in a fast-moving industry
What’s included in the SDxMarketplace:
- Comprehensive Company Profiles: Get essential details about each company all in one place
- Integrated SDxCentral Coverage: Access all SDxCentral articles related to a company, providing a complete view of its impact on the industry
- Article Mentions: Find where companies are mentioned in content, even if they’re not the primary focus
- Company Updates: Press releases, executive changes, funding, earnings, and other essential updates
- Security Alerts: Stay informed with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) security alerts, directly linked to relevant companies
- Event Listings: Track industry events submitted by companies, ensuring decision-makers never miss critical events
SDxMarketplace consolidates all the information you need to make quick, informed decisions. Instead of sifting through multiple sources, find everything in one place, ensuring decision-makers have the most comprehensive data to make the best choices for your organization.
SDxMarketplace Pro has additional functionality that allows technology suppliers and agencies to engage with our members and gain access to additional insights. SDxMarketplace Pro features include self-managed company pages, blog syndications, earned media analytics, and market trends insights. Contact us here to learn more about it.
Decision Insights: Gain a competitive advantage with exclusive data
Decision Insights is designed for technology suppliers who need to identify and engage with in-market buyers (hand-raisers) before their competitors. This premium offering leverages exclusive data to provide insights into the specific technologies and solutions that your target customers are currently researching.
Decision Insights empowers you to support both ongoing and identify new sales opportunities, helping you effectively prioritize your marketing and sales efforts. The provided insights give you a deeper understanding of your prospects’ decision-making stages, enabling you to engage them with the right message at the right time.
How to get started with StringerAI
If you’ve explored our insights or Marketplace articles, syndicated press releases, CISA security alerts, or researched suppliers in the SDxMarketplace, you’ve seen StringerAI in action.
Our mission has always been to be an independent resource for IT decision-makers. With StringerAI powering SDxAccess, SDxMarketplace, and Decision Insights, we continue to evolve so you can make faster, more informed decisions.
Activate your SDxAccess account, explore the SDxMarketplace, and start making smarter decisions. Contact SDxCentral today to learn more about our new content strategies, earned media opportunities, and product roadmap.
What next?
- Explore your member profile to check out all the features available today.
- Update your newsletter preferences.
- Review your SDxCentral Marketplace page and ensure you’re listed.
- Contact our sales team with any questions or updates.