Because Data1Intel’s mission is to collect all possible data related to vendors and products in the cyber security industry and then package and sell that data in multiple ways, the target markets for that data (and those who can benefit from it) are potentially quite extensive. For the purposes of this section of the business plan, however, the discussion of target markets and competition is focused on our initial flagship product, VaaaS (Vendor Assessment as a Service).

Note: Much of the data required to drive the VAaaS application will also be utilized for additional data products targeted at specific markets. These are outlined in detail in the “Revenues” portion of the pro-forma. [See "Financial Data" section of the Business Plan.]

A profile of our target markets can be broken into nine key customer/user segments. The descriptions and sizes of each of these market segments are detailed below.

• Direct Buyers of IT Security Products
• Consultants Advising Buyers of IT Security Products
• Analysts Serving Investors & Stakeholders in IT Security Companies
• Investors & Financiers of IT Security Companies
• Government Procurement Specialists
• IT Departments at Universities
• Cyber Security Product Vendors
• Women in Tech
• Cyber Security Insurance Underwriters

1. Direct Buyers of IT Security Products
   1. Business owners and corporate officers: CEOs, COOs, CFOs. (According to Dun & Bradstreet, there were 23 million businesses registered with them in 2014.)
   2. CTOs, CIOs, CISOs (Chief Information Security Officer), and other IT professionals involved in cyber security decisions. (According to Frost & Sullivan, this number was 3.6 million in 2014.)
   3. Corporate procurement/vendor assessment officers. (According to the U.S. Dept of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, this number was 72,200 in 2012.)
2. Consultants Advising Buyers of IT Security Products
   1. IT security consultants. (According to LinkedIn, there were 7,488 listed in 2014; for the broader term of "IT consultant" there were 288,963.)
   2. VARs (value-added resellers) and IT integrators are specialized consultants and vendor relationship managers. Although there are no specific numbers available for the size of this market segment, VAR growth is expanding—especially with regard to the high-demand area of cloud migration.
   3. General business and BPM (business process management) consultants. (According to an article in Businessweek, this number was 400,000 in 2011. There were 279,000 self-identified business consultants in LI in 2014.)
3. Analysts Serving Investors & Stakeholders in IT Security Companies
   This would include analysts working for large investment institutions, as well as private wealth management advisories. (According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, this number was 253,000 in 2012.)
4. Investors & Financiers of IT Security Companies
   Angels, VCs, private equity, investment bankers, private offices and corporate venture capital. (Specific numbers are not available; however, reported investment amounts—$1.7 billion invested in 2013, according to Cybersecurity Industry Report, 2014 —are quite significant and indicative of interest in the space
5. Government Procurement Specialists: federal, state, local. (According to the federal government, there are approximately 2,000 federal agencies, many of which have counterparts at the local level. Specific job data are not available.)
6. IT Departments at Universities
   Cyber security job postings have risen by 74% in the past five years, and there are currently over 200,000 unfilled jobs in the U.S. "Universities are scrambling to develop programs. The hardest thing about teaching anything about cyber security is the same thing that’s the hard part about writing and reporting about cyber security, which is, it’s moving so fast," according to a PBS News Hour report. Where can they turn for the most up-to-date information and for their course content? Data1Intel.
7. Cyber Security Product Vendors
   By the end of 2014, there were approximately 2,000 U.S.-based cyber security product manufacturers. Depending upon how cyber security product categories are defined, there are between 75 and 100 separate categories—such as firewalls, encryption, wireless network protection, intrusion detection, data loss prevention, etc. A drill-down into each category reveals thousands of products presently offered for sale by the aforementioned 2,000 vendors.
8. Women in Tech
   This term refers to a small but growing constituency—women IT leaders and technology personnel. (According to the U.S. Dept of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total number of IT workers was 1,093,100 in 2012. According to the National Center for Women & Information Technology, 26% or these positions are held by women, putting that 2012 figure at 284,206.)
9. Cyber Security Insurance Underwriters
   Cyber risk insurance represents a relatively new, but rapidly accelerating, share of the overall insurance market. According to The Washington Post, companies in the U.S. paid $2 billion in cyber security insurance premiums in 2014. This represents a 67% increase over premiums paid in 2013.

Benefits To Customers/Users

The VAaaS tool is designed to help our customers locate, assess, and acquire the cyber security products and information they need—in the most efficient, cost-effective manner possible. It is a game-changer because it brings full transparency to the vendor selection process for the first time. This is a huge and welcome benefit to our target market sectors. The following are VAaaS benefits enumerated by types of customers/users.

Direct Buyers of IT Security Products: Business owners and IT professionals

1. Lower the costs of product acquisition and ownership by accurately comparing offerings, including contract terms and pricing.
2. Lower vendor assessment costs via increased staff productivity. Staff spends less time collecting and analyzing information because VAaaS enables faster, more thorough analysis.
3. Eliminate vendor bias and sole reliance on vendor-supplied information. VAaaS levels the playing field between buyers and vendors by providing access to information that facilitates comparison.
4. Onboard new vendors more quickly by reducing the complexity of the vendor assessment process.
5. Utilize a tool designed for interface with both business and IT professionals. VAaaS offers distinct, easy-to-follow pathways for each type of user.
6. Develop vendor requirements via the VAaaS Wizard or build custom requirements, as necessary.
7. Stay up-to-date on vendors and products via news alerts and feeds on companies and products of interest.
8. Use the VAaaS sentiment indicators to learn whether other customers love or hate a vendor and/or product.
9. Quickly respond to and replace the loss of an existing vendor and adapt rapidly to changing vendor and business landscapes.
10. Spin up new programs faster with new vendors and decrease time to market for new programs and products.
11. Increase profits across the enterprise because you have acquired exact-fit vendors.
12. Negotiate with and manage your vendors more effectively than ever before because information is power.

Consultants Advising Buyers of IT Security Products

1. Provide clients with up-to-date vendor options that match their specific requirements.
2. Minimize research time by employing the VAaaS database to quickly and efficiently segment, match, and select appropriate vendors and products for clients.
3. Compare your proprietary offerings with those in the VAaaS database in order to establish efficacy.
4. Provide full-spectrum support for clients requiring new vendor options and installation.
5. Offer new, improved service to clients regarding vendor assessment, acquisition, and management.

Analysts Serving Investors & Stakeholders in IT Security Companies

1. Take advantage of the robust search capability of a database containing all IT security product companies, organized by product segment.
2. Access detailed financial, legal, and other pertinent company information, including market buzz.
3. Complete your analyses quickly and efficiently. Throw out your spreadsheets. VAaaS is all you will ever need to analyze this sector.
4. Reach more informed and accurate conclusions by utilizing the VAaaS database.

Investors & Financiers of IT Security Companies

1. Utilize the continuously updated VAaaS database to compile financial, legal, and other critical information about cyber security companies.
2. Minimize research time by employing the database to efficiently segment, match, and select appropriate data for companies of interest and their market segments.
3. Quickly compare and analyze information about how the market is responding to a particular company or product.
4. Make more informed decisions regarding your allocation of resources.

Government Procurement Specialists

1. Utilize constantly updated, real-time data for vendor assessments.
2. Streamline procedures and improve efficiency in acquiring and vetting appropriate vendors.
3. Utilize fast, easy access to a comprehensive database containing all U.S. cyber security companies.
4. Minimize research time by employing the database to quickly and efficiently segment, match, and select appropriate vendors and products.

IT Departments at Universities

1. Become recognized as a leading institution in the field of cyber security, securing top-notch students and instructors…and attracting funding to the university.
2. Ensure up-to-date course material by utilizing Data1Intel reports containing in-depth analyses and current trends.
3. Use your reputation to offer graduates the opportunity to be introduced to the most desirable employers in the nation.

Cyber Security Product Vendors

1. Utilize the database to stay informed about competitors’ product offerings.
2. Ensure accuracy of company data and utilize our (vetted) vendor-update process, as necessary.
3. Stay abreast of market sentiment and be able to respond accordingly.

Women in Tech

1. Be appreciated as leaders in the field by becoming early adopters of a new tool that fundamentally alters the landscape when it comes to vendor assessment.
2. Be recognized for discovering and championing the software that radically curtails workloads, while returning accurate, detailed data on IT security companies and their products.
3. Parse market sentiment and participate in its creation, by sharing experiences regarding the efficacy of individual products and the service levels of vendors.
4. Utilize this unique new data and information source to help organizations improve offerings and counsel clients.

Cyber Security Insurance Underwriters

1. Perform thorough, reliable risk assessments on third-party vendors.
2. Refer clients to preferred vendors for each category of cyber security products and services.
3. Become more competitive by offering stronger, more comprehensive cyber insurance policies.