At Last, the First Pan-European IT Readership Survey 29/06/00 Banner Corporation, Europe's leading specialist technology marketing agency, has announced a partnership with Ipsos. Under the agreement, the Banner Survey will be incorporated into an Ipsos initiative to provide IT readership research on a pan-European basis - a service that media planners, advertisers and publishers have been seeking for many years. Banner's research division has run the Banner Survey for 13 years, during which time it has become recognised as the definitive UK study into the readership and purchasing habits of IT decision makers in business. Ipsos is responsible for 'Les Decideurs Informatiques en Entreprise', a similar piece of research in France, and also handles National and European readership surveys that target senior businessmen, such as Europe 2000, EBRS and the FCA. The agreement is designed to leverage Ipsos' European media expertise in order to extend the survey's reach across the continent. According to Robert Norum, sales and marketing director at Banner, "We have taken the survey as far as we can from a UK perspective. The market has been crying out for a bona fide European IT readership study. Ipsos are ideally positioned to deliver on this. They have direct experience of running a successful IT readership study in France and excellent European credentials. We will help them develop the Banner Survey in the UK as the first stage of a multi-country expansion that will involve compatible research in each key European market." Norum added: "Our specialist IT research division will continue to provide research services including focus group and brand tracking studies. One of the benefits of the Ipsos partnership is that we will be able to invest more time in these services. We will be launching a web-based European technology buyers panel later this year." Under the agreement, Banner will retain a financial stake in the Survey and will provide strategic management input, but Ipsos will be ultimately responsible for maximising opportunities to promote the study on a pan-European basis. Next year's study will be re-named " Ipsos Banner IT Survey - UK." According to Elizabeth De Langhe, Managing Director at Ipsos Media, "By combining the industry standard for IT readership research in the UK and France, we have an excellent platform for expansion across Europe. Our intention is to provide the best national study in every major European market and ultimately a pan-European IT readership study that is recognised and respected by media planners and buyers right across Europe. This development meets the challenges posed by pan-European IT publishing and advertising."