International Data Corporation was founded in 1964 by
Patrick Joseph McGovern, shortly after he had graduated from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Based in Massachusetts, the company produced a computer installation database, and published a newsletter, "EDP Industry and Market Report" (modeled on "ADP Newsletter", which was published by the Diebold Group). Companies such as
RCA,
Univac,
Xerox, and
Burroughs paid IDC for use of the data base. During this time, McGovern continued to work as a writer for "Computers and Automation" magazine, the first computer magazine, published by
Edmund Berkeley. The company expansion led to its name change to International Data Group (IDG).
Publisher history By IDC's third year, McGovern was considering liquidating the company when he hit on the idea of launching
Computerworld in 1967, which was a continuation of the monthly newsletter, published weekly instead of monthly, in a different format, with advertising, and which would become a cornerstone of IDC's subsequent publishing arm. In 1969, IDG made its first overseas expansion when it opened IDC UK and launched its first European publication. In 1974, the company launched its first international publication,
Computerwoche, in Germany, its first fully translated publication. International publications in Japan, China, the then Soviet Union, Vietnam, and other countries would follow throughout the 1990s. In 1984, the company launched
MacWorld in the same week that the Macintosh computer was debuted, and featured Steve Jobs on its cover. In the 1991, IDG Books launched its
For Dummies series with
DOS For Dummies, and published many instructional/reference books under the series until Hungry Minds (the new name for IDG Books) was acquired by
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in 2001. In 2007, IDG ceased print publication of
InfoWorld U.S. and made the content available online only, signaling the company's transition to a web-centric model for publication.
Events, Research & Technology Marketing Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, IDG would break into the events and research spaces. In the early 1970s, it launched its
Computer Caravan trade show in the US, reaching nine US cities in 11 weeks. By 1972, the
Computer Caravan had a European presence as well. In the 1980s, IDG launched
IDC Predictions via its subsidiary IDC, which would come to represent the company's technology research and analyst arm. In 1991, the first IDG DEMO Conference was held in
La Quinta, California, as a live forum where companies could debut their latest technology live on stage in front of crowds of technology consumers, business decision makers, and investors. The event, which would go on to be held as conferences across the US, Asia, South America, and other countries through 2015, served as the site of notable product and software launches such as
Adobe Acrobat,
PalmPilot,
VMware Virtual Hardware,
Netscape, and
Salesforce. By the mid-2000s, the company had established a rich online and print publication business, a trusted market research and analyst division, and a large global trade show presence – all which contributed to the growth of a database of over six million technology buyers and professionals. In 2006, IDG made this database of readers, website visitors, and event attendees available to technology marketers via its demand generation division IDG Connect. In 2010, IDG introduced the "Nanosite", an advertising tool designed as an alternative to a
microsite.
Changing ownership and returning to International Data Corporation name Following McGovern's death in 2014, ownership of the corporate passed to the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, until 2017 when it was purchased by
China Oceanwide Holdings Group. IDG, Inc. changed ownership again in May 2021 when
Blackstone Inc. acquired the corporation from China Oceanwide Holdings Group for $1.3 billion. After the sale of its publishing division, Foundry to private equity firm
Regent LP in March 2025. IDG changed its corporate name back to IDC. == Business ==