For Vendor Strategy Professionals (Length: 12 pages)

July 16, 2008

Tech Horizons: What The Startup Xobni Teaches Tech Vendors About Innovation

The Company Scores A Win With A Simple Improvement To Microsoft Outlook

by Chris Andrews

with Jean-Pierre Garbani, Janine Liu


Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

The San Francisco-based startup company Xobni offers personal computer users a free plug-in to Microsoft Outlook that adds improved functionality and social networking capabilities to the popular email program. The company is notable for the simplicity and strength of its value proposition, as well as what it shows about the state of technology market innovation. While Forrester talks with many companies struggling to create "the next big thing," Xobni delivers on three important components of innovation in that it: 1) provides a significant improvement over an existing technology; 2) is easy to implement and user-friendly; and 3) improves a technology that is both universal and critical to business operations. But to appreciate the significance of this startup, technology strategists should also explore the symbiotic relationship Xobni has created with Microsoft. The relationship highlights how large technology vendors can work with the startup community to create innovation and improve the experience of end users.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

NOTES & RESOURCES

itemUsing A Structured Approach To Evaluate Emerging Technologies

itemThe Xobni Evaluation

itemXobni's Product Provides An Improvement To Outlook's Capabilities

itemXobni Scores Well On All Four Of The Tech Horizons Criteria

itemSuccess Depends On Its Ability To Manage Competitors And Generate Revenues

WHAT IT MEANS

itemThe Double-Edged Nature Of External Innovation

Forrester interviewed Xobni for this document.

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itemHot Companies To Watch In 2008: Q2 Update

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itemForrester's Tech Horizons Methodology: Predicting Which B2B Innovations Will Succeed

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itemHot Companies To Watch In 2008

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itemAvoiding Failure In Technology Partnerships

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Analyst: Chris Andrews
Technology: B2B Sales & Marketing, Enterprise Collaboration, Information & Knowledge Management, Innovation Networks, Product & Solutions Strategies, Tech Marketing Tools & Best Practices, Technology Vendor Alliances & Partnerships
Industry: Computer Software Industry, High-Tech
Geography: Asia Pacific, Europe, North America

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Ratings and Comments
Rating: 9 out of 10
based on 1 ratings across all roles.
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