Enterprises Using AI to Improve Product Experiences and Intelligence, ISG Says
Companies are digitally re-engineering their product processes with PXM and PLM software, new research finds
The ISG Buyers Guides™ for Products, produced by ISG Software Research, find PIM systems, which enterprises have used for decades to standardize product information for customers and business partners, are changing to support a widening array of product experiences across multiple channels. By 2027, the PIM category will evolve into PXM as software providers look to meet enterprise needs for greater intelligence and enhanced customer experience across the entire product lifecycle.
“Achieving the best possible outcomes from product investments requires the digital re-engineering of product processes and the use of modern software,” said Mark Smith, partner and chief software analyst, ISG Software Research. “For the first time, our research enables enterprises to assess and select the product management software they need to be successful.”
Most organizations have more than five sources of product information to integrate and manage, and many still rely on manual effort and antiquated methods such as spreadsheets, which do not always produce a reliable product record, the reports say. The increasing number and diversity of products and services heightens this challenge.
Companies need systems that can continuously run intelligent processes, using AI, machine language and analytics, to make the best use of product information. While investments in and improvements to PIM platforms will continue, software providers and their more digitally mature customers are moving toward PXM systems.
Retailers, for example, rely heavily on product experiences, but most use incompatible tools and lack a central information repository, making product data management inefficient, the reports find. PXM software can help enterprises overcome these issues, but getting the most out of PXM also requires enhancing processes and information, ISG says. Advances in agentic AI, which helps machines interact with workers and consumers through workflows, are also becoming more important.
Product intelligence software is also evolving through advances in AI, ISG says. Companies now have greater need for intelligence and insights on consumer behavior and interactions with products across multiple digital channels. AI and machine learning are powering the predictive analytics that enable companies to better meet consumer needs, adjust product offerings and create dynamic, personalized experiences.
Product lifecycle management (PLM) software, meanwhile, is more important than ever as products grow more complex and lifecycles shorter, the reports say. Enterprises need PLM software that facilitates collaboration, adapts to new technologies and processes, safeguards large amounts of data and simplifies regulatory compliance. As product experience plays a bigger role throughout product lifecycles, one-quarter of PIM and PXM providers will combine their products with PLM products by 2028, ISG predicts.
For its 2025 Buyers Guides for Products, ISG evaluated software providers across six software categories – Product Experience Management, Product Experience Management for Retail, Product Information Management Platform, Product Information Management for Manufacturing, Product Intelligence and Product Lifecycle Management – and produced a separate Buyers Guide for each.
A total of 51 providers were assessed: 1WorldSync, Acquia, Adobe, Akeneo, Amplitude, Aras, Arena, Bamboo Rose, Bluestone PIM, Boyum IT, censhare, CentricSoftware, Comosoft, CONTACT Software, Contentserv, Contentsquare, Dassault Systems, Epicor, fabric, Feedonomics, Fullstory, Gainsight, Glassbox, IBM, Infor, Informatica, inriver, Logility, MixPanel, Netcore Unbxd, Insightsoftware, novomind, Oracle, Pendo, Pimcore, Plytix, Precisely, Productsup, Propel Software, PTC, Revalize, Quantum Metric, Sales Layer, Salsify, SAP, Siemens, Sensor Tower, Stibo Systems, Syndeton, Syndigo and Viamedici.
ISG Software Research rates software providers on seven evaluation categories. Five are product-related: usability, manageability, reliability, capability, and adaptability. Two are customer assurance-related: validation and total cost of ownership and return on investment (TCO/ROI). Providers ranked in the top three for each evaluation category are named as Leaders. Within each evaluation category, those with the most Leader rankings are named as Overall Leaders.
The Overall Leaders of the 2025 ISG Buyers Guides for Products were the following:
Product Experience Management: Informatica earned the highest overall rating, followed by Akeneo and Salsify. Informatica was designated a Leader in all seven performance categories, Akeneo in four, and Salsify in two. Bluestone PIM, Contentserv, inriver, Pimcore and Syndigo were rated Exemplary, and SAP and Viamedici were rated Innovative.
Product Experience Management for Retail: Akeneo was rated highest, followed by Salsify and inriver. Akeneo and inriver each were designated Leaders in four performance categories by placing among the top three providers in those categories. Salsify was designated a Leader in two categories. Bluestone, Contentserv, Pimcore, SAP and Syndigo were rated Exemplary. Acquia and Netcore Unbxd were rated Innovative.
Product Information Management Platform: Informatica was the highest-rated provider, followed by Akeneo, with inriver and Salsify tied for third place. Informatica was designated a Leader in all seven categories, Akeneo and Salsify in two categories each, and inriver in three. Bluestone, Contentserv, Oracle, Pimcore, SAP, Stibo Systems and Syndigo all were rated as Exemplary. Acquia, Netcore Unbxd and Viamedici were rated as Innovative.
Product Information Management for Manufacturing: The top three providers were Informatica, Akeneo and Salsify. Informatica was a Leader in all seven performance categories, Akeneo in three and Salsify in two. Bluestone, Contentserv, inriver, Oracle, Pimcore and Syndigo were rated exemplary, while novomind, SAP and Viamedici were rated Innovative.
Product Intelligence: Pendo was the highest-rated provider, followed closely by Amplitude, with Quantum Metric in third place. Pendo was designated a Leader in five performance categories, Amplitude in six and Quantum Metric in three. In addition to these providers, Adobe was also rated as Exemplary. Glassbox was rated as Innovative.
Product Lifecycle Management: SAP was the highest-rated provider, designated as a Leader in all seven categories. Oracle followed, designated as a Leader in six performance categories, and Siemens took third place, designated as a Leader in five categories. Arena, Dassault Systems and IBM were rated as Exemplary, and CentricSoftware and PTC were rated as Innovative.
“The pace and complexity of every part of product management is increasing with the evolution of digital systems,” said Robert Kugel, executive director, Business Research, ISG Software Research. “With advances in AI and other technologies, software providers must continue to create tools that make clients more competitive in this essential capability.”
The ISG Buyers Guides™ for Products are the distillation of more than a year of market and product research efforts. The research is not sponsored nor influenced by software providers and is conducted to help enterprises optimize their business and IT software investments.
Visit this webpage to learn more about the ISG Buyers Guides™ for Products and read executive summaries of each of the six reports. The complete reports, including provider rankings across seven product and customer experience dimensions and detailed research findings on each provider, are available by contacting ISG Software Research.
About ISG Software Research
ISG Software Research provides authoritative coverage and analysis of the business and IT software industry. It distributes research and insights daily through its user community, and provides a portfolio of consulting, advisory, research and education services for enterprises, software and service providers, and investment firms. Its ISG Buyers Guides™ help enterprises evaluate and select software providers through tailored assessments powered by ISG’s proprietary methodology. Visit research.isg-one.com for more information and to sign up for free community membership.
About ISG
ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.
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Press Contacts:
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Source: Information Services Group, Inc.
