Analyst relations is a cornerstone component of any good PR strategy. After all, B2B technology analysts interact with just about everyone—media, current and potential customers, employees, investors and even financial analysts. Their valued, third-party insights influence media coverage, affect investor behavior and define current and visionary industry trends.

Navigating the analyst relations waters can get a little confusing sometimes, especially in the B2B tech industry. Getting in front of the right researchers, however, can have a huge impact on your PR efforts—think industry report mentions, quotes for press releases and bylines and even original content featuring your client. If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few of the biggest names in the industry covering a vast array of topics. They have influence, rapport and a hefty dose of expertise—so make sure you know your stuff before trying to capture their interest.

Learn more about integrated marketing and PR, read: Defining Your B2B Tech Integrated Communications Strategy.

PATRICK MOORHEAD, Moor Insights and Strategy

Patrick is the founder of Moor Insights and Strategy and is consistently ranked as one of the best-of-the-best technology industry analysts in terms of power and press citations. He covers all things tech—from data centers to IoT to semiconductors and everything in between.

Patrick is one of the most highly-cited tech analysts, appearing frequently in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Computerworld, Recode, USA Today, Barron’s, MarketWatch, CNBC, Reuters, Bloomberg, VentureBeat, PCMag, ZDNet, CNET, PC World, EE Times, CRN, ABC, BBC, San Jose Mercury News and SO MUCH more (seriously, the list goes on and on).

Before Patrick started Moor Insights, he spent over 20 years as a high-tech strategy, product and marketing executive in the PC, mobile, graphics and server markets (credits include AMD, Compaq Computer Corporation and the infamous AltaVista). In 2016, Moor Insights and Strategy was awarded New Firm of the Year by the Institute of Industry Analyst Relations (IIAR).

FUN FACT: Patrick lives in Austin, Texas where he is the owner of his very own horse.

Follow Patrick on Twitter @PatrickMoorhead

R “RAY” WANG, Constellation Research

Ray is the founder, chairman and principal analyst of Silicon Valley-based research firm Constellation Research and the author of the blog “A Software Insider’s Point of View,” a hugely popular tech and business strategy blog with a whopping UVM of 10,000,000 a year. He primarily focuses on emerging business and technology trends, digital business model transformation and enterprise apps strategy, so clients and journalists alike turn to him for expertise on bridging the gap between business leadership and technology adoption. He is the go-to-guy for the what’s-what and the who’s-who in future tech trends and disruptive technologies affecting business processes, business models and organizational design.

Ray is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review and Forbes CIO Central, and you’ll see him frequently quoted in top tier pubs like The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg, Fortune, eWEEK, Reuters and the IDG News publications, to name a few.

Prior to launching Constellation, he was a founding partner and research analyst for enterprise strategy at Altimeter Group and one of the top analysts at Forrester Research for business and IT strategy. He is a three-peat winner of the prestigious Institute of Industry Analyst Relations (IIAR) Analyst of the Year Award.

FUN FACT: Ray is a self-proclaimed EDM DJ…though evidence of this has yet to be found.

Follow Ray on Twitter: @rwang0

MIKE GUALTIERI, Forrester Research

Mike is a vice president at Forrester Research and the principal analyst for application development and delivery at the firm. He is laser-focused on the technology enabling visionary digital experiences and breakthrough operational efficiency—translation: he’s got the scoop on who’s making software faster and smarter, and how they’re doing it.

His key coverage areas are big data and IoT strategy; predictive analytics, streaming analytics, and prescriptive analytics; and machine learning, data science, AI and emerging technologies. Mike is also a leading expert on the intersection of business strategy, architecture, design, and creative collaboration.

Mike is a recipient of the Forrester Courage Award for making bold calls that inspire leaders and guide great decisions.

FUN FACT: On the weekends, you can find Mike on the dance floor swing dancing with his long-time partner (both in dance and in life) Lisa.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @mgualtieri

BOB O’DONNELL, TECHnalysis Research

Bob is the president, founder and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research and is widely considered one of the key influencers in B2B tech market research. He is an expert on the technology inside today’s most popular consumer devices—from the hottest mobile devices to the latest in graphics powering 4k video, he knows it all.

Bob is a regular contributing columnist to USA Today’s tech beat and often writes guest columns in publications including Fast Company, Engadget and Smarter Analyst. He also writes a weekly column for Tech.pinions.com that you’ll frequently see syndicated in places like Recode, TechSpot and SeekingAlpha.

Prior to founding TECHnalysis, Bob was the program VP for clients and displays at IDC where he was responsible for the company’s worldwide mobile phone, tablet and PC research. Bob made it onto AR Insight’s list of most influential analysts just one year after founding TECHnalysis, and has since made it to the top 10 of that list on several occasions.

FUN FACT: Bob is in a brass band call The Headliners, where he plays trombone and composes original songs.

Follow Bob on Twitter: @bobodtech