As the scale of demand response (DR) programs has increased, their operational reliability has become more critical and options have expanded for communication protocols and devices. There is a need for more centralized management and control, similar to what is done on the power generation side of the electricity market. Numerous vendors have come from many different angles to offer solutions that are categorized as demand response management systems (DRMSs). DRMSs are developed to help energy providers manage DR programs and improve program ROI. To date, vendors indicate that the uptake of DRMSs has been slow, but there are drivers across the globe and across different utility types that point toward increasing interest. The companies active in this market are diverse, ranging from full-scale utility operational system providers to pure-play DRMS vendors. As the global DRMS market has heated up in recent years, leading companies have invested heavily to develop their capabilities and strategy. There are also a number of companies focused on other aspects of the smart grid arena that are now starting to tackle the DR space, but have a great deal of ground to cover in order to catch up to the incumbents. This Navigant Research Leaderboard Report examines the strategy and execution of nine leading DRMS providers. These players are rated on 10 criteria: vision; go-to market strategy; partners; technology; geographic reach; sales, marketing, and distribution; product performance; product portfolio; pricing; and staying power. Using Navigant Research?s proprietary Leaderboard methodology, vendors are profiled, rated, and ranked with the goal of providing an objective assessment of their relative strengths and weaknesses in the global DRMS market.