Why Futuriom Launched Cloud Tracker Pro

Don't you hate advertising? I do. Granted, I'm advertising my own product right now. But at least it's not in the form of an annoying pop-up video.

Ever since I got fired in 2009 because the advertising market cratered and the project I was working on got shut down by UBM (now Informa/IHS/Whatever), I have been experimenting with new content models. In 2017 I spun off the technology research business I helped build at SDxCentral.com and launched Futuriom. As I looked at the calendar recently, I realized that Futuriom is now three years old! Totally forgot. Funded entirely out of my own pockets, client sponsorships, and premium research, we are now flourishing -- in the middle of a recession. Don't worry, we're not getting cocky. We're planning carefully and prepared for anything. At least I'm not getting fired.

So what do you do in a situation like this if you want to build the best product? You launch something new! Futuriom has been working hard to launch our new premium research service, Cloud Tracker Pro.

Cloud Tracker Pro will provide in-depth research reports and ongoing analysis of developments in the cloud technology markets, including SD-WAN, multi-cloud networking, 5G cloud edge, cloud security, and cloud infrastructure. It will include:

• Exclusive access to regular quarterly reports on cloud technology growth areas (see below for the projected calendar)
• Access to our entire archive of premium reports
• A quarterly Cloud Capex Trends Tracker on cloud spending

As many of you already know, Futuriom has set a high bar in cloud technology research by correctly predicting trends such as software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN), cloud edge security (or SASE as Gartner now calls it), and edge cloud. We are focused exclusively on diving deep into the business models and trends that are driving the massive expansion of cloud infrastructure.

Why Ads Suck

So what's the point of launching another premium technology service, now?

Ad-supported content models are inherently weak. At the same time, I've always enjoyed the deeper insight and pace that research allows. As a partner at Light Reading, I helped conceive and launch the Heavy Reading research service. That research product helped Light Reading grow through the 2001-2002 recession, a powerful business lesson that's still fresh in my mind. High quality products strengthen in recessions. I believe Cloud Tracker Pro will help us flourish in these challenging times.

The reason? Content is king.

Despite the flood of information out there, It's still difficult to find focused, specialized information on cloud technology growth markets. The mainstream media wasn't writing about SD-WAN or edge security when it started to take off in the last few years. I also believe they're going to miss the coming shifts, including multi-cloud networking and 5G edge cloud. By speaking to experts every day, running regular surveys, and tapping into the best technical minds, we will continue to uncover key trends in the heart of the cloud.

I also believe that Cloud Tracker Pro will enable us to build a sustainable business that serves our community and readers best. Ad-supported media models are inherently messy and volatile. In addition to that, it's increasingly hard to read websites. Ad networks and Web pollution suck. We'd like to keep Futuriom free of ad-network tripe -- and provide you with the highest quality sponsor- and subscription-funded content.

We're Investing in New Content

So now is the time to invest! In the three years since our launch, the Futuriom business and community has grown significantly. We're going to re-invest every penny we make in content. That will come in many forms: Free content on our website, premium content for our subscribers, and custom content for our clients.

Launching Cloud Tracker Pro will enable us to take our research and writing to another level. Subscription-funded content is an inherently more stable and sustainable platform. It will help us expand our roster of writers. And run more surveys. And dive into new areas.

It's not the first time we have sold premium research -- we're just packaging it in a more sensible way. Our premium reports used to cost $595-$900 each on a single-user basis, but now an annual subscription for $895 will get you access to our entire library of reports, which will be produced at a rate of at least five per year (if not more often). Basically, you'll get at least 5X the amount of content you got before for the same price. We're also going to be adding regular analysis and premium content on the website monthly.

Focused on the Practitioners

Our new Cloud Tracker Pro products will be driven by primary research of cloud technology end markets. This research starts with regular end-user surveys and interviews. We conduct a major survey every quarter and interview end users and industry experts on a daily basis to keep in touch with important cloud trends.

We are also beefing up our staff of contributors. We'll have more news on that later, but veteran analysts Mary Jander and Charlie Ashton have already provided valuable contributions and will be doing more research for us on a regular basis. I will also continue to write and contribute to our research on a regular basis. We are also looking for regular analysts, so please contact me if you have any interest.

Our coverage will be anchored to an annual calendar of reports that guides our focus. All of the planned Cloud Tech Trends reports for 2020 are listed below. As they become live, we will link to them.

In 2020, Futuriom plans to publish six Cloud Tech Trend reports:

• 5G Catalysts: Business Opportunities at the Edge (April – LIVE! – Cloud Tracker Pro subscription required)
• Cloud Capex Trends and Leaders (May – Cloud Tracker Pro subscription required)
• SD-WAN Infrastructure Growth Report (June – Cloud Tracker Pro subscription required)
• The Future of Multi-Cloud Networking (TBD – Free)
• CSP Network Automation Leadership Survey (TBD – Free)
• Cloud Networking and Security Survey (September – Cloud Tracker Pro subscription required)
• SD-WAN Managed Services Survey (November - Cloud Tracker Pro subscription required)

I'm more excited and energized than ever to build this community with you, and I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback. If you would like to support this mission, please consider a subscription.

Even if you are not a subscriber to our research, you can read valuable blogs and summaries of our findings on the Cloud Tracker Pro page.

Thank you for supporting the community! We look forward to providing you with a mixture of free and premium cloud technology research going forward.

(For information on enterprise subscription sales and sponsorship, please contact sales at futuriom dot com.)