To the general public, a “Cool Vendor” selection by research firm Gartner may not mean much. Maybe not as headline worthy as a big deal or some new financing, they say.

But to industry insiders, selections such as this one by Gartner mean a huge boost to a company’s credibility. (The company is also hiring. Check out the details.)

Anil Chawla knows that first hand since the company he used to work for – IBM – uses such awards as credi bility benchmarks. And Anil’s ArchiveSocial just got a big one, he says.

In an exclusive interview with WRAL TechWire, Chawla talks about the importance of the selection and what else is happening at the venture, which helps clients make sense of all the social media buzz across the Internet.

“Credibility plays a huge role for a young company, especially when dealing with legal requirements and data storage like we do,” Chawla says when asked about the importance of the selection.

“Gartner is the most respected analyst firm in the industry, and having them recognize our solution as a ‘best practice’ for social media archiving greatly helps reinforce our credibility.”

Validic, another Triangle startup, also is on the latest Gartner “Cool Vendor” list.

Chawla says Big Blue and other firms in technology scrutinize Gartner’s list due in part to the research firm;s reputation.

“Anyone who has a background in enterprise software & technology knows Gartner,” he explains. “I spent most of my early career at IBM, and I remember how influential Gartners’ reports were in ranking the market standing and success of IBM’s products.

“It’s honestly a bit crazy to come full circle as a startup and have a product that we built from scratch receive this type of recognition from Gartner.”

An honor from Gartner could lead to more customer wins in what Chawla says is an increasingly competitive market but also boosts company morale.

“I often talk about how, as a startup, we must create disproportional outcomes from the limited time and resources at our disposal,” he explains. “There are companies in our market with larger teams and more resources, and yet we’ve been able to secure a number of key wins.

“It shows us that there are really no limitations, and it gives us tremendous confidence.”

Investors also might take more notice of ArchiveSocial, which is backed by Triangle angle and software veteran David Gardner among others.

“I hope so,” he replies when asked if being “cool” impresses the suits.

“It is one shiny data point across a sea of positive data points for our company, which I think investors like to see.”

Of course, the Gartner selection could mean an uptick in business, too. But Chawlas isn’t resting on any laurels.

“To be honest, this recognition is not the only thing we’ve had up our sleeves these past few weeks, so it is hard to tell,” he says when asked if the Cool Vendor report has sparked business.

“We are just now starting to make noise about the report, so let’s see what happens!”

As for funding, ArchiveSocial is not seeking any “at this time,” but Chawla is quick to add: “I am always open to conversations, particularly where there is a strong strategic fit.”

Business was going well even before the “cool” announcement, he adds. 

“Great!” is how he describes the deal flow.

“We have been laying foundation to scale the business for some time, and now we are starting to build on that foundation. That’s why hiring is so critical for us right now. We are tracking well on expectations but we have our sights set much, much higher moving forward.”

But he also notes that competition is getting stronger. 

“Yes, the competition continues to evolve and they are certainly aware of what we are doing.,” he explains “We will remain focused on providing better technology (and hence a better solution) and getting our message out there.”

Being a “Cool Vendor” doesn’t hurt.