SpicePanels Connect Technology Brands With IT Buyers to Provide Real-Time Feedback and Speed Product Development
AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Apr 18, 2013) - Spiceworks™, the vertical network for IT, today introduced SpicePanels, a new service that brings together technology vendors and beta testers selected from Spiceworks' network of 2.4 million IT professionals. The new offering helps both start-up and established technology companies more quickly develop, test and trial new products, services and marketing campaigns by tapping into the collective power of the Spiceworks Community. Early customers include start-ups such as Pertino and OtoGo Mobile, as well as established technology brands such as Canon, EMC, and VMware.
"As an IT professional, I welcome the chance to help technology vendors design, build and market the technologies I rely on to do my job," said Mark Kleine, IT manager at McCoy Tree Surgery. "I took part in a SpicePanel with Pertino and felt like it gave me a voice and the opportunity to influence a cloud networking service that our company now uses."
SpicePanels are virtual focus and testing groups comprised of hand-picked IT professionals that fit vendors' desired profiles, including technology expertise, company size, industry, or other criteria. These custom engagements provide vendors with real-time community feedback and can be conducted as focus groups, beta test environments or product trials. SpicePanels can be as short as one hour or last up to several weeks based on vendors' needs.
The new offering is flexible enough to be used at any point in a vendor's product development and marketing process -- from viability testing and creation to execution and post-launch efforts. The SpicePanel process includes:
"We developed SpicePanels after seeing how powerful the open and honest feedback from the Spiceworks Community was in shaping the way vendors develop and market their offerings," said Jay Hallberg, co-founder and VP of Marketing at Spiceworks. "SpicePanels highlight the power of vertical networks and the way vendors, IT professionals and Spiceworks are collectively changing the IT industry."
SpicePanels are now available to start-up and established technology brands. To get started, visit http://www.spiceworks.com/marketing/products/spicepanels
About Spiceworks
Spiceworks is the vertical network for IT that connects 2.4 million IT professionals with over 1,500 technology brands to simplify how IT professionals discover, buy and manage more than $425 billion in technology products and services each year. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Spiceworks is backed by Adams Street Partners, Tenaya Capital, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), Shasta Ventures and Austin Ventures. For more information visit http://www.spiceworks.com.
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Spiceworks is a trademark of Spiceworks, Inc. All other names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Contact Information:
Media Contacts:
Adam Schaeffer
Spiceworks
Email:
512-628-8293