Gartner buys AMR Research in bid to boost supply chain consulting exposure

Gartner Inc., which provides research and analysis on the global information technology industry, said it would acquire AMR Research Inc., a supply chain research and advisory firm, for approximately $64 million in cash. The deal is set to close by month's end.

Gartner said the acquisition is expected to expand its suite of research offerings and also complement its consulting and events businesses. It added that the integration of AMR's 40 research analysts and 45 sales executives should enhance Gartner's ability to "further penetrate the vast market opportunity for syndicated research."

Gartner CEO Gene Hall said in a statement that AMR is the "market leader for research related to supply chain management, which is inextricably linked to IT and has become a central and growing issue for many organizations. We expect the acquisition to give us immediate presence in this market and the ability to generate substantial synergies by selling AMR Research products to Gartner clients and Gartner products to AMR Research clients."

"Gartner's scale and worldwide distribution will enable AMR Research to sell its world-class products to a much larger client base than it ever could as an independent company." AMR CEO Tony Friscia said in the statement.