Can companies that specialize in counting ever be considered “cool”? Gartner Inc. thought so, and tagged four small firms as just that.

In more scientific language, it described them as “innovative vendors that provide competencies that support marketing and analytics.”

• Eloqua offers a lead-management system that integrates lead scoring, nurturing and routing. It also facilitates segmentation, campaign and event management, analytics, and e-mail/Web support services specifically for business-to-business campaigns. But Gartner cautions that Eloqua is overly reliant on Salesforce.com for revenue, which may represent a viability risk.
• Hitwise, recently acquired by Experian, provides marketers with information on the origin of Web site visitors and where they go after visiting a site. On the downside, Hitwise data doesn't integrate easily with Web analytics tools, according to Gartner.
• Loyalty Lab provides Web-based loyalty-program management software. It assists with accrual and redemption, customer value measurements, rule-based promotional offers, trigger e-mail and shopping carts. However, while Loyalty Lab's offering stands alone, firms increasingly are pursuing broader CRM strategies.
• Vistaar specializes in analytics-based support for marketers' decisions. The firm's product helps with forecasting, portfolio planning, pricing, promotion, and competitive market analysis. The result? Decisions are driven by science instead of the whims of upper management. The drawbacks? Internal politics still exist in product marketing, and Vistaar's success may hinge on changing corporate cultures, Gartner says.

Gartner says its research should not be taken as an exhaustive review of any given technology area.