Using the CMP Research Prism
How Do I Use a Prism?
Use the CMP Research Prism as a decision-support tool to help align solution provider capabilities and market presence with your organization’s strategic priorities.
Each category—Pioneering, Leading, Core Performing, Up & Coming, Emerging—represents a different combination of strengths and opportunities. Placement is not a measure of “better” or “worse,” but a snapshot of where a provider stands today in terms of capabilities progressiveness and marketplace confidence.
The most effective use of the Prism is to consider how each solution provider’s profile maps to your specific objectives, operating model, and growth plans, rather than focusing solely on a single area of the graph.
Prism Structure & Interpretation
Vendors are plotted within five distinct positions — Pioneering, Leading, Core Performing, Up & Coming, Emerging — based on their performance across the two axes:
Pioneering: Excelling in both capability innovation and market confidence.
Leading: Robust capabilities with strong market confidence.
Core Performing: Stable execution in both dimensions.
Up & Coming: Rising in one dimension, developing in the other.
Emerging: Newer entrants building initial momentum.
This approach helps technology buyers and executives quickly assess solution provider trajectories and strategic fit.
Interactive & Comparative Features
The CMP Research Prism is designed for flexible exploration and comparison, allowing you to focus on what matters most to your organization. These features make it easier to interpret solution provider positions and evaluate potential fit:
Customizable views – Filter and adjust weightings to emphasize the criteria most relevant to your needs.
Integration insight – Understand how a solution provider’s offerings can align with and integrate into your existing technology stack.
Build-your-own dashboard – Reconfigure the Prism view based on the investment criteria that matter most to your organization.
Use-case lenses – View performance through the lens of specific functions or operational priorities.
