Being A Gartner "Cool Vendor" May "Matter" -- But Only "Slightly" So...

After-hours tonight, Mattersight's corporate denizens press-released the fact that the company has been selected by Gartner as a "Cool Vender" (click to enlarge my image, at right). If memory serves, old eLoyalty Corp. was selected as a CRM "Cool Vendor" in 2005 or 2006, but then never made the list again, thereafter.

This is clearly Mattersight's first year making the list -- but according to Gartner's own website promoting the crop of last year's "Cool Venders" -- more than 300 are so-selected each year. The Cool Venders are companies that Gardner encourages others to do business with -- but also candidly labels as having a higher risk of not being independent (or in existence, as a stand-alone entity?) in five years' time, than their more-established competitors.

So -- I was left wondering whether this is such a good thing. I mean the eLoyalty businesses now belong to someone else, some five years after being named a "Cool Vender". . . so, I'd suggest that this accolade matters -- but only slightly.

Your mileage may vary -- in fact, it probably does. So be it.