For Vendor Strategy Professionals (Length: 12 pages)

Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

Uncertainty in the world's financial markets has dominated the world news in 2008 — and technology strategists are taking notice. Many of these strategists have the technology bubble of 1999 to 2001 on their minds, when technology jobs were lost and investment in technology dropped precipitously. But the market for technology investments is substantively different today than it was in the last economic slowdown, and venture-backed investment is more stable and mature. Paying close attention to venture capital (VC) investment trends will become increasingly important for tech strategists in the coming years, as VC-funded companies present unique opportunities to drive innovation and growth. For now, technology investment appears strong — even poised for growth — and VC investors are not shying away from opportunities in the tech space. If economic conditions worsen, expect some small but substantive changes to the way VC firms do deals that will affect how tech firms should approach the VC investment process.