NEW YORK: Tech decision makers give user-generated sites equal importance to traditional media sources when considering tech purchases, according to a new study by Hill & Knowlton. But when it comes to establishing a company's reputation, analyst and traditional media relations are still most influential.

The “Tech Decision Maker” study found that decision makers consider their personal experience (58%) first when short-listing tech vendors, followed by word-of-mouth and industry analyst reports, tied at 51%.

But a ...