CCM analyst reports 2026: what each one measures and how to use it

Looking for CCM analyst reports in 2026? You’ll want IDC, QKS Group, Aspire and Omdia, plus Celent and Datos Insights if you’re an insurer. Gartner and Forrester, the names procurement usually asks for first, haven’t evaluated CCM vendors in years.

Here’s what each report measures, how to get a copy, and how to read a Leader badge without being misled. Want to see which vendor placed where? That’s in the CCM benchmark.

Evaluation with a 2024 to 2026 edition No CCM edition since 2019

Sources: DOCUMENT Strategy Media for the 2014, 2015 and 2017 Gartner editions (2013 inferred from its 2014 report of a second consecutive edition); Forrester's report pages; IDC document numbers in vendor press releases; QKS Group's report page and newsroom; Omdia's 2024 report excerpt and Quadient's April 2026 release; Celent's report page; Datos Insights' report page; Elixir's October 2026 release for AxisCube. Gartner Peer Insights, a review site, is not shown. Checked October 15, 2026.

Is there a Gartner Magic Quadrant for CCM?

No, not since 2017. Trade media reported editions in 2014, 2015 and 2017. The 2017 Leaders were GMC Software (now part of Quadient), OpenText, Pitney Bowes, Smart Communications and XMPie.

Today Gartner’s only public CCM coverage is Peer Insights, a review site listing 53 products. Those ratings show what users think, not what Gartner’s analysts think. If a vendor quotes a Gartner Leader placement, ask for the title and year. It’s almost certainly from 2017 or earlier, and the products have changed since.

Forrester is in the same spot. Its last CCM Wave is from Q2 2016 (14 vendors, 22 criteria), followed by a Now Tech overview of 17 providers in Q1 2019. Forrester results that show up for “top CCM vendors” are often about cross-channel campaign management, a different category.

The reports that matter now

Each one measures something different, so a Leader in one isn’t the same as a Leader in another.

IDC MarketScape: Intelligent CCM

Best for a worldwide view, with a strong focus on AI

• Sep 2026latest edition
• US54131626document number

IDC scores vendors on qualitative and quantitative criteria and plots them on one chart. The previous edition came out in December 2024. IDC analyst Amy Machado said “AI is now touching nearly every part of the CCM platform,” as quoted in a Messagepoint release.

Watch out: known mainly through vendor press releases. Ask for the reprint.

QKS Group SPARK Matrix: CCM

Best for the widest vendor coverage

• 24vendors, Q3 2026
• $5,500list price

QKS, formerly Quadrant Knowledge Solutions, publishes it every year. Vendors are rated on technology excellence and customer impact. QKS says CCM “has reached an inflection point,” with AI-native vendors challenging older platforms.

Watch out: we only know the placements vendors chose to announce.

Aspire CCM-CXM Leaderboard

Best for comparing vendors within one segment, like SaaS or AnyPrem

• Continuousupdates since 2023

Aspire rates vendors in separate segments, including AnyPrem CCM, vendor-hosted SaaS CCM, enterprise communications processing and communications experience platforms. It draws on surveys of hundreds of businesses, expert interviews and vendor briefings, scoring “overall strategy” and “ability to execute.”

Watch out: badges are per segment, so always check which one.

Omdia Universe: CCM

Best for seeing how broad each vendor’s capabilities are

• 2026latest edition
• Full listpublic for 2024

In 2024, Omdia scored vendors on core areas like content creation, batch production and cloud, and advanced areas like analytics and governance. A Leader has “a large number of capabilities across all technology areas.” Labels are Leader, Challenger and Prospect.

Watch out: for 2026, only Quadient’s announced result is public.

Celent and Datos Insights

Best for insurers

• 16solutions, Celent Sep 2024
• 8vendors, Datos Apr 2024

Celent rates insurance CCM on innovation, features, architecture, pricing and support, with Luminary as its top level. Datos profiles eight vendors for property and casualty and life insurers. Read them alongside CCM software for insurance.

Watch out: both are for clients only.

One newcomer: AxisCube published its first TriAxis Matrix in 2026, covering 18 vendors, according to an Elixir press release. With one edition and little public detail, treat it as a side note.

How to get the full reports

None of these firms gives full results away, and the badge on a vendor’s site leaves out the cautions. Here’s how to read the real thing.

• Ask your shortlisted vendors for reprints. Vendors that place well usually license the report for prospects. Ask every finalist, not just the one that sent the badge.
• Buy it. QKS sells its report directly. IDC, Omdia and Forrester sell to subscribing clients.
• Use a subscription you already have. Your strategy or procurement team may already subscribe to one of these firms for another market.
• Read licensed excerpts. Omdia’s 2024 CCM excerpt includes the full placement list.

Note the document number and month. Vendors sometimes cite older editions, and several reports have similar names.

How to read a Leader badge

A placement is one analyst’s view, against its own criteria, at one point in time. These checks keep it in proportion.

1. Check the report, segment and year. An Aspire SaaS badge says nothing about self-hosting, and a 2017 Gartner badge says little about a 2026 product.
2. Check who published it. Most placements go public only through the vendor’s own release. Our analyst heatmap marks which is which.
3. Read the cautions. Every full report lists weaknesses as well as strengths. Turn them into questions with the CCM RFP template.
4. Missing isn’t the same as weak. A vendor absent from a report may simply not have been evaluated.
5. Weigh it against real users. Score placements and review ratings together in the CCM vendor scorecard.

Where analyst reports fit in your decision

Analyst reports are good at cutting a long list and poor at picking between finalists. Make sure everyone on your shortlist appears in at least one current report, then let your requirements and proof of concept decide.

The best CCM software guide uses placements as one input among several. For the wider category, see the CCM software guide. For a real replacement decision, see SmartCOMM alternatives or SmartCOMM vs Quadient Inspire.