Technology research and consulting firm Sports Innovation Lab has created a new vendor evaluation product called Scout. The platform seeks to become something of a J.D. Power or Consumer Reports for sports technology products, particularly those relating to athlete performance. The firm, led by IOC Exec Board member Angela Ruggiero, former NFLer Isaiah Kacyvenski and former Forrester VP/Research Josh Walker, has developed a series of peer-reviewed criteria and rankings to evaluate various hardware and software systems and is conducting extensive lab testing on each product it reviews. "We are aiming to really change how sports technology buying decisions are made,” Walker said. Scout is roughly six months in development, and builds upon Sports Innovation Lab’s prior research efforts to create a database of potential solutions for teams, leagues, brand marketers and other sports technology buyers and develop market segment analyses. The rankings will be customizable based on specific buyer requirements, and the Sports Innovation Lab founders said the rankings will be fully objective. “We’re a truly independent third-party resource, and have no dog in the fight,” Walker said. “But we are really trying to get away from a notion of one-size-fits-all for sports tech, and allow buyers to see information that relates to their own specific needs.”
