Gartner buys rival

The acquisition by analyst Gartner of rival Meta Group has been completed, accelerating growth of the company's core IT research business, says Gartner boss Gene Hall.

The deal, costing about US$168 million ($237 million), was signalled in December.

Hall said the merger also presented cost-saving opportunities for the Stamford, Connecticut-based company.

Gartner was founded in 1979 and has more than 1100 research analysts and consultants working in more than 75 locations.