We just got the results of our latest Forrester Business Technographics® survey, and there's some excellent data on IT spending plans across industries, including consumer packaged goods and retail. I was particularly struck by the 18% of consumer goods manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers that are increasing their RFID efforts. As RFID momentum continues to build, many of you have been asking us for information that will support your RFID planning for 2005. We have some great new research that can help. What's more, we've created an RFID home page to make it easy for you to find it:

1. My colleague Sharyn Leaver recently undertook the big task of evaluating the RFID middleware solutions of 13 vendors. It's still a very new market. As a result, she looked at a mixed lot -- from RFID pure plays like OATSystems and ConnecTerra to industry giants like SAP and IBM. Because RFID requirements will change dramatically during the next few years, you can see how vendors stack up with both mandate-driven projects and broader RFID deployments. See Sharyn speak on the topic in her latest VideoView Evaluating RFID Middleware    .

2. RFID middleware is only one piece of the RFID data puzzle. Manufacturers and retailers need a standardized way to pass RFID data back and forth -- one that works alongside global data synchronization efforts. The recent partnerships between EPCglobal Networks, VeriSign, and data sync vendors like Transora, WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE), UCCnet, and IBM/Trigo should help companies link RFID and global data sync.

3. Those of you making RFID infrastructure decisions for both readers and tags should check out Simon Yates' piece on Symbol Technologies' acquisition of Matrics. We expect this to be the first in a wave of hardware acquisitions by vendors like Texas Instruments, Philips, and Intermec Technologies that are all jockeying for a position in a maturing market.

That's the list for RFID, but we realize that most of you have more on your plates for 2005. Over the past few months, I've spent time with several CPG manufacturers overhauling or upgrading their SAP apps. No doubt those of you who attended SAPPHIRE in New Orleans heard about SAP's shift from its current client/server architecture to an enterprise services architecture. Erin Kinikin notes that if SAP pulls this off, the new apps will have significant new deployment flexibility. Take a look at Erin's view of SAP's big bet, and start planning for this architectural shift.

Finally, judging from the volume of CPG email newsletters I receive, I know that many of you see email marketing as an important way to strengthen consumer relationships and sell more products. This summer, Elana Anderson and Jim Nail evaluated the offerings of 13 email service providers with two vendors, Bigfoot Interactive and DoubleClick, emerging as leaders. Use this Forrester Wave™ as a tool to pick providers for 2005 -- or get the most out of the ones you already use.

Best of luck with your 2005 IT planning!

Cheers,



Christine Spivey Overby
Senior Analyst, Consumer Packaged Goods

PS: Is there something you are undertaking that you would like us to write about? If so, please drop me an email at christineoverby@forrester.com.

Research Referenced In This Issue BT Sets The Standard For Hosted RFID Offerings (34838) Evaluating RFID Middleware (34390)    Grading Trade Promotion Solutions (34578) Innovation Networks (34580)    Linking RFID And Global Data Sync (34681) Manugistics' New CEO Faces A Tough Battle (35246) SAP's Big Bet To Revolutionize Apps (34739) Symbol Jump-Starts RFID Hardware Consolidation (35197) The Best Email Marketing Service Providers (34437)

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