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Traditional IT Research vs. ListEdTech

Which One Fits Your Institution’s Needs?

We’re often asked, “How is ListEdTech different from firms like Gartner, Forrester, or IBM?”

These are great consulting firms with incredibly smart people doing excellent work. As leading IT research and advisory firms, their expertise lies in gathering vast amounts of data across the IT sector—covering market trends, vendor capabilities, and emerging technologies across industries. They analyze this data to produce reports, frameworks, and strategic insights for IT leaders.

However, while they provide broad IT research, their data is not focused on the education sector.

This is where ListEdTech is different. We focus exclusively on higher education and K-12 EdTech data. Instead of analyzing broad IT trends, we track real-world system adoption, vendor performance, and peer benchmarking specific to educational institutions.

Side-by-Side Comparison

CategoryTraditional IT Research & ConsultingListEdTech (EdTech-Specific Insights)
Industry FocusCovers IT across multiple industries, including educationExclusively focused on higher education & K-12 EdTech
ApproachTop-down: Broad IT strategy, difficult to operationalizeBottom-up: Practical, real-world insights that can be used immediately
Data & ResearchData sourced from a small group of high-paying clients, mostly outside educationObjective, large-scale dataset: 3.5 million data points from 81,000+ educational institutions
Insight MethodologyAnalyst opinions, surveys, and limited sample sizesReal adoption trends from thousands of institutions
Level of DetailHigh-level insights by industry and regionDetailed, precise insights on firmographics, vendor adoption, and peer benchmarking
RFP AccessGeneral evaluation criteria for RFPsDirect access to 1,800+ peer EdTech RFPs
Consulting & AdvisoryHigh-level consulting for IT strategy & governanceActionable, data-driven insights tailored to education
Type of Insight ProvidedAccess to industry analysts for expert callsVendor comparisons, adoption trends, and implementation data
Network & ToolsLimited benchmarkingInteractive network tools for peer benchmarking, vendor tracking, and trend analysis
Conference AccessFree or discounted passes to general IT & CIO conferencesNo expensive event tie-ins—focus is on actionable data
Events & NetworkingIT conferences, executive forums, and industry reportsEdTech market trends, reports, and peer institution insights
CostExpensive, broad-focus service modelCost-effective, tailored for education budgets

Which One is Right for Your Institution?

  • If you need general IT strategy across industries, a traditional provider might work.
  • If you need EdTech-specific insights, peer RFPs, and cost-effective data for decision-making, ListEdTech is the smarter, education-focused choice.

Want to see how ListEdTech compares to your current data sources?
Click here to schedule a demo or reply to this email to learn more.

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  • Recent Posts

    • Who Are HigherEd’s Tech Leaders? October 15, 2025
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    • Rethinking Market Saturation in EdTech September 24, 2025
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    • How Institutions Discover What Tech Their Peers Are Using September 3, 2025

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