Osterman Research
Osterman Research is a private research and advisory firm founded in 2001 that produces commissioned studies, multi-client white papers, and analyst advisory for enterprise technology vendors, with focus on cybersecurity, AI adoption, and IT workforce topics across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersBlack Diamond, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Osterman Research does
Osterman Research is a private research and advisory firm founded in 2001 that produces commissioned studies, multi-client white papers, and analyst-led advisory for enterprise technology vendors. The firm operates as Osterman Research Limited (UK) and conducts research across cybersecurity, artificial intelligence adoption, and IT workforce/talent topics, publishing annual benchmark studies and thematic reports. Its research methodology is survey-based, drawing on enterprise respondent panels, and outputs are distributed through co-marketed webinars, vendor channels, and licensing arrangements.
The firm serves a mix of large established security and infrastructure vendors (IBM, Proofpoint, Radware) and growth-stage vendors (Abnormal AI, AvePoint, IRONSCALES, Immersive Labs, KnowBe4), typically on multi-year engagement cycles. Its business model combines three revenue streams: (i) single-sponsor commissioned research priced per report, (ii) syndicated multi-client white papers where several sponsors co-fund a single study, and (iii) research licensing and advisory retainers. Geographic operations span the Americas, EMEA (headquartered in the UK), and APAC (Australia). The firm is founder-controlled (Michael Osterman) with no disclosed outside funding rounds, M&A activity, or headcount figures.
Output is consumed primarily by B2B technology vendors' marketing, product, and strategy teams who use the research for thought leadership, demand generation, and market positioning. The firm competes indirectly with large analyst firms (Forrester, Gartner) and directly with other boutique IT research shops, differentiating on niche depth in cybersecurity and AI adoption surveys rather than on enterprise IT coverage breadth.
Osterman Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Osterman Research
- Legal name
- Osterman Research Limited
- Website
- https://ostermanresearch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Osterman Research is a private research and advisory firm founded in 2001 that produces commissioned studies, multi-client white papers, and analyst advisory for enterprise technology vendors, with focus on cybersecurity, AI adoption, and IT workforce topics across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Osterman Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Market Research Services
- NAICS
- Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)
Keywords
Where Osterman Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Black Diamond
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Osterman Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Multi-client Research Licensing: Licensing of multi-client research white papers and reports to technology vendors and enterprise organizations. Organizations pay to access proprietary research findings and data.
- Commissioned Research Projects: Custom research engagements where specific technology vendors commission Osterman Research to produce targeted white papers, surveys, and industry reports on particular topics or market segments.
- White Paper Programs: Prepared white paper programs for technology vendors looking to establish thought leadership and educate decision-makers in their target markets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom research project pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Osterman Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Osterman Research is a private research firm that conducts primary market research focused on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and talent/workforce issues. The firm delivers commissioned custom research, multi-client white paper programs with multiple sponsors, and licensing of existing research reports to technology vendors and enterprise buyers. Their work spans surveying end users and decision-makers, producing in-depth reports, and supporting webinars, podcasts, and lead-generation programs for clients.
Product overview
Osterman Research is a market research and advisory services firm specializing in cybersecurity, AI, and talent strategies for enterprise organizations. The company offers commissioned research for technology vendors, multi-client white papers, industry analysis reports, webinars, podcasts, and advisory services. Their research focus areas include cybersecurity posture and resilience, AI security, application security, API security, identity security, phishing and ransomware, and cyber workforce topics. The company has been researching markets for technology vendors since 2001, providing primary market data through surveys, in-depth reports, and direct client engagement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commissioned Research Projects
Quantifiable outcome
- Conducted surveys across 750 enterprise leaders for AvePoint State of AI 2026 report
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Osterman Research
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Osterman Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Osterman Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- RadwarecoreMulti-year research partnership (4th year) where Radware commissions Osterman Research to conduct annual cyber surveys focusing on AI, API, and application security trends. Osterman Research conducts primary surveying and produces white papers for Radware's marketing and thought leadership initiatives.
- AvePointcoreThird consecutive year of partnership for AvePoint's State of AI annual report series. Osterman Research conducted underlying survey of 750 enterprise leaders across Americas, EMEA, and APAC, preparing results on AI adoption, trust, control, and readiness in the agentic era.
- IRONSCALESmajorCommissioned research on the business cost of phishing and rebuilding trust in digital communications. Osterman Research produces research reports that IRONSCALES uses for market education and lead generation.
- Abnormal AI, Constella Intelligence, Enzoic, NinjaOne, SilverfortmajorMulti-sponsored multi-client white paper on identity security covering visibility, governance, and autonomous remediation. Five sponsors co-commissioned the research sharing costs and gaining access to findings.
- Immersive LabsmajorCommissioned the 2025 Cyber Workforce Benchmark Report focusing on workforce resilience, with Osterman Research conducting primary research and analysis.
- KnowBe4, Mimecast, and othersmajorMulti-sponsored white paper on reducing phishing and ransomware risks. Multiple security vendors (Avanan, KnowBe4, Mimecast, Octree Limited, SlashNext, Spamhaus Technology, TitanHQ, Trend Micro) co-sponsored the research.
- IBM, ProofpointmajorSponsored research on ROI of Information Governance with IBM, Proofpoint, Acaveo, and GWAVA as sponsors, examining how organizations can effectively govern electronic stored information.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Osterman Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Forrester Research: Forrester is a leading global research and advisory firm covering enterprise technology, cybersecurity, and AI — directly competing with Osterman for commissioned research, multi-client subscriptions, and CISO/CIO advisory engagements. Its broader scope and larger analyst bench make it Osterman's most direct full-service peer.
- Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), part of TechTarget: ESG is an IT analyst and research firm focused on enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital transformation, producing commissioned and syndicated research for technology vendors. Its research model, vendor sponsorship approach, and cybersecurity focus closely mirror Osterman's positioning.
- 451 Research (S&P Global Market Intelligence): 451 Research provides syndicated and custom research across enterprise technology, cybersecurity, and data center topics. It operates a similar commissioned-research and multi-client model serving technology vendors and enterprises, making it a directly comparable specialist peer to Osterman.
- KuppingerCole Analysts: KuppingerCole is a Europe-based analyst firm specializing in identity, cybersecurity, and AI governance research. It produces reports, surveys, and advisory services for technology vendors and enterprises, closely overlapping Osterman's cybersecurity and identity security coverage.
- Enterprise Management Associates (EMA): EMA is an IT research and consulting firm producing vendor-sponsored and syndicated research across cybersecurity, networking, and IT operations. Its commissioned research and white paper programs are a direct analog to Osterman's core offerings.
- Nucleus Research: Nucleus Research is a small-cap research firm producing ROI-focused case studies and commissioned research for enterprise technology vendors. It shares Osterman's commissioned/multi-client research model and competes for similar vendor and enterprise budgets.
Broad incumbents
- Gartner: Gartner is the largest IT research and advisory incumbent, covering cybersecurity, AI, and enterprise technology end-to-end. It overlaps with Osterman across cybersecurity and AI advisory but operates at a much larger scale with subscription-based research access rather than Osterman's commissioned/multi-client model.
- International Data Corporation (IDC): IDC is a broad incumbent in IT market research, producing syndicated and custom research used by technology vendors and enterprises. It overlaps with Osterman in cybersecurity, AI, and enterprise IT surveys and competes for the same vendor-sponsored research budgets.
- Frost & Sullivan: Frost & Sullivan is a broad incumbent in growth strategy and technology market research, producing syndicated and custom research for technology vendors globally. It overlaps with Osterman in IT, cybersecurity, and enterprise technology research commissioned by vendors.
Emerging players
- Constellation Research: Constellation Research is an advisory and research firm focused on disruptive and emerging enterprise technologies, including AI and digital transformation. It overlaps with Osterman in AI-related research while competing for the same vendor research sponsorships and enterprise advisory spend.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Osterman Research social profiles
Digital presenceOsterman Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Osterman Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Osterman Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Osterman Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Osterman Research
What does Osterman Research do?
Osterman Research is a private research firm that conducts primary market research focused on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and talent/workforce issues. The firm delivers commissioned custom research, multi-client white paper programs with multiple sponsors, and licensing of existing research reports to technology vendors and enterprise buyers. Their work spans surveying end users and decision-makers, producing in-depth reports, and supporting webinars, podcasts, and lead-generation programs for clients.
Is Osterman Research a public or private company?
Osterman Research is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Osterman Research founded?
Osterman Research was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Osterman Research based?
Osterman Research is headquartered in Black Diamond, United States, in the North America region.
How does Osterman Research make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Multi-client Research Licensing is the primary driver. The others are commissioned Research Projects and white Paper Programs.
Who are Osterman Research's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Forrester Research, Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), part of TechTarget, 451 Research (S&P Global Market Intelligence), KuppingerCole Analysts, Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) and Nucleus Research. Broad incumbents are Gartner, International Data Corporation (IDC) and Frost & Sullivan. Constellation Research is listed as an emerging player.
Does Osterman Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for Osterman Research.
What industry is Osterman Research in?
Osterman Research's product category is Market Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHALAE, Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom). Its NAICS code is 54191 and its SIC code is 8700.