For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

How The Adoption Of Several Important Emerging Technologies Affects Sourcing

by Chris Andrews, August 31, 2010

Many sourcing and vendor management (SVM) professionals who Forrester speaks with know that they need to play a proactive role in sourcing emerging technologies but have difficulty identifying which technologies matter most for their business. Interest . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Systems Integration Spend Rebounds In 2010

Sourcing Execs Must Drive Successful Vendor Selection, Governance, And Pricing

by Liz Herbert, August 31, 2010

Forrester's Q2 2010 survey of more than 2,800 IT services buyers across the globe shows that firms are again investing in more strategic initiatives, with IT strategy consulting and systems integration spend both seeing a rebound in 2010. This means that . . .

For Security & Risk Professionals

Compliance With Clouds: Caveat Emptor

by Chenxi Wang, Ph.D., August 26, 2010

Today's organizations face aggressive cost-cutting and efficiency pressures that drive businesses to consider cloud sourcing solutions. While the many properties of cloud services, such as elasticity, low entry costs, and faster time-to-market, are well . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: North American Applications Outsourcing, Q3 2010

IBM And Accenture Lead A Highly Competitive Field In A Mature Industry

by Bill Martorelli, August 25, 2010

In Forrester's 38-criteria evaluation of 12 leading providers of applications outsourcing (AO) solutions vendors, Forrester found that in this mature market IBM and Accenture lead the pack due to their superior organizational breadth and depth of capability. . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

The Past, Present, And Future Of Replication

Upgrade Continuity And Recovery With Replication

by Stephanie Balaouras, Rachel A. Dines, August 17, 2010

Tape is not dead, and in fact, a large number of companies still rely heavily on tape for disaster recovery (DR). Tape is affordable and removable, but as the requirement to recover IT services after a disruption has moved from days to hours, backup and . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Right And Wrong Reasons To Work With Tier Two Offshore Providers

The Right Selection Of Tier Two Specialists Is Key To Higher Value

by Sudin Apte, August 17, 2010

As companies focus on deriving more business value from their IT services suppliers, they find that specialists often provide niche, deep domain capability and flexibility that is tough to find in top service providers. Identifying a true specialist in . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

The Digital Drop: IT Opportunities In The Oil And Gas Industry

by Holger Kisker, Ph.D., August 13, 2010

The information and communications technology (ICT) industry is facing the next big wave of verticalization. With business challenges becoming increasingly complex, ICT solutions to address and solve these challenges need to become more tailored to specific . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Demand Insights: The SMB Software Market 2010

Small And Medium-Size Businesses Are Defying Gravity

by Tim Harmon, August 9, 2010

Small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), like their enterprise brethren, are shifting their technology focus from IT to business technology (BT). As their focus on business solutions — as opposed to technology products — continues to grow, SMBs are now . . .

For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Cloud Storage Comes Down To Earth

Cloud Storage Is Ready Today, But Only For Three Limited Use Cases

by Andrew Reichman, August 5, 2010

Few advances in storage have been hyped as much as "cloud storage." Every vendor in the space is painting its products and message with a cloud veneer. But for all this hype, there is little clarity about what cloud storage really means and how it might . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

SVM Is Uniquely Positioned To Connect Innovation Leadership To Innovation Services

by Chris Andrews, August 3, 2010

Amid the ups and downs of the global economy, the interest in innovation among senior business leadership has only increased. Most CEOs recognize that in a business environment characterized by higher levels of uncertainty and risk, the ability to generate . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Organizing Apps Maintenance Work For Outcomes

Preparing To Reorganize Work Is Key To The Effort

by Bill Martorelli, August 2, 2010

Many customers that are seeking the next threshold of value are interested in gaining the benefits of managed outcome relationships but are still struggling to execute the transition. Why? Transitioning to managed outcomes is more than merely adjusting . . .

For Security & Risk Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: Information Security And Risk Consulting Services, Q3 2010

Deloitte Leads The Pack, With PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, And Accenture Close Behind

by Khalid Kark, August 2, 2010

In Forrester's 75-criteria evaluation of information security and risk consulting service providers, we found that Deloitte led the pack because of its maniacal customer focus and deep technical expertise. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young, . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

A Market Taxonomy For ICT

Forrester's Definitions For Tech Product Categories, Industries, And Geographies

by Andrew Bartels, August 2, 2010

Forrester is expanding the breadth and depth of data that we provide to vendor strategists on the size and growth trends of the market for information and communications technology (ICT) solutions. Our goal is to provide data for vendors on the ICT market . . .

For CIOs

ANZ CIOs Should Experiment With The Cloud In 2010

by Tim Sheedy, August 2, 2010

Cloud computing is coming to your organization — if it is not there already. However, most IT organizations in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) do not have a full understanding of the impact that cloud computing will have. And unlike traditional IT outsourcing . . .

For Application Development & Delivery Professionals

Agile Systems Integrators: Plausible Or Paradoxical?

Mixing Agile Methods And Systems Integrators Requires An Artful Approach

by Dave West, July 30, 2010

Agile methods have become popular because, on average, they produce better outcomes. Agile's focus on learning by execution and a condensed set of engineering practices increases the cadence of delivery when businesses need to supply innovative ideas . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Hot Insurance Tech Companies To Watch In 2010: Q2 Update

by Ellen Carney, July 29, 2010

Effective vertical strategies are becoming more critical for tech vendors as they try to address the core business problems — not just the pure technical problems — of their customers. This is especially evident in the insurance industry, which emerged . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

The Coming Upheaval In Tech Services

Four Economic And Technology Factors Will Combine To Recast The Business

by John C. McCarthy, Pascal Matzke, July 29, 2010

The tech services market is about to undergo a massive transformation that will call traditional provider business models into question. Four factors will combine to dramatically change the dynamics, economics, and competitive landscape of IT services . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Market Overview: SMB eCommerce Solutions

A Guide To Selecting Your eCommerce Solution Across North America And EMEA

by Brian K. Walker, July 26, 2010

A solid technology foundation is one of the keys to success for eCommerce businesses looking to optimize their customer experiences, market effectively and creatively, and scale their business to make more meaningful contributions to their companies. . . .

For Business Process Professionals

Packaged Apps In The Cloud: Cost Of Ownership Models Evolve Toward The Transparency Of SaaS

by Paul D. Hamerman, July 23, 2010

Business process professionals responsible for packaged applications often have difficulty in getting their arms around the total costs of ownership of their business solutions. SaaS simplifies the cost of ownership equation, but most packaged applications . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The VSB Market Under The Magnifying Glass

The Very Small Business Profile: Growing, Young, And Mobile

by Tim Harmon, July 22, 2010

The very small business (VSB) market is growing in importance for an increasing number of tech vendors, in large part due to the fact that it is the fastest-growing company-size segment in terms of technology spending. Moreover, VSBs are broadening their . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Inquiry Spotlight: Offshoring, Q1 2010

Q1 2010 Saw An Increase In Offshore-Related Inquiries

by Sudin Apte, July 21, 2010

Sourcing and vendor management (SVM) professionals want to gain additional benefits from incumbent offshore suppliers, particularly incremental savings and improved relationship governance. Many clients are also considering new providers, and they're . . .

For Business Process Professionals

BI Service Provider Short-Listing Tool

by Boris Evelson, Liz Herbert, July 21, 2010

Firms should use the Forrester BI Service Provider Short-Listing Tool to input details about geographic scope, technology needs, and type of third-party support (i.e., consulting versus implementation versus hosting/outsourcing). The tool will then output . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

US And Global IT Market Outlook: Q2 2010

Despite Financial Market Jitters, 8% 2010 Global ICT Market Growth Is On Track

by Andrew Bartels, July 21, 2010

Financial markets in Q2 2010 have been shaken by fears that the Greek debt crisis will metastasize across the European Union (EU) and beyond. Nevertheless, Q1 demand data was strong; we continue to expect that the tech recovery will gain strength in the . . .

For Business Process Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: CRM Suites Customer Service Solutions, Q3 2010

by William Band, James G. Kobielus, July 19, 2010

Forrester evaluated the customer service and support capabilities of 19 leading CRM suite solutions against 196 criteria. Customer service and business process professionals face a diverse range of products to sift through to support the quest to create . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Hot Banking Tech Companies To Watch In 2010: Q2 Update

by Ellen Carney, July 16, 2010

Focusing on solving the core industry-specific business problems is the next big wave in the tech industry. Nowhere is it more evident of technology's unique role in solving business problems than in the highly tech-dependent banking market. The outlook . . .