http://www.forrester.com/ Forrester is an independent technology research company that provides pragmatic and forward-thinking advice about technology's impact on business. en-us 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 120 http://www.forrester.com/imagesV2/affiliates/logos/forrester.gif http://www.forrester.com/ http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55737&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55737 At the same time that online quantitative research has taken off, dubiousness abounds about the representation of the online panel sample. Buyers ask: Are panels representative of the markets researchers use them for? What can we do about the moral hazard (greatly increased for B2B tech) that leads bad actors to take surveys inappropriately? A wide variety of approaches have been percolating in the market ranging from "it's not really a problem" to various comprehensive solutions. Buyers are finally pushing back. Major buyers — such as Microsoft and Proctor & Gamble — are making very specific panel quality demands for their research vendors, and many of the major full-service research vendors and panel providers are taking note. The end result? Three years of equally competing solutions with no clear direction for buyers. This means market research professionals must be very specific about demanding high quality panel for all of your research needs, or risk having your findings undercut when your internal customers ask: "Is this analysis really representative of our market?" B2B Sales & Marketing eBusiness/eCommerce Sourcing & Procurement High-Tech Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Brad Bortner" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55737&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55737 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55716&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55716 Many companies, besieged by audit findings and application vulnerabilities, recognize the benefits of eliminating security vulnerabilities early in the software life cycle. For this reason, static analysis technologies for analyzing code-level security issues are gaining momentum in the industry. As a security and risk management executive, you must: 1) carefully prepare your organization before buying static analysis tools; 2) apply six selection criteria to the buying decision; and 3) consider the current landscape of vendors as well as emerging open source tools that provide an inexpensive alternative. Packaged Applications Security & Risk Sourcing & Procurement Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Chenxi Wang, Ph.D., Andrew Jaquith" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55716&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55716 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55697&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55697 The proliferation of high-resolution screens that well surpass 1024 x 768 adds a new layer of complexity to site design. Not only is there no standard resolution to design for, but higher-resolution screens pose usability challenges for sites that were designed for lower-resolution displays. Designers can combat usability challenges for high-resolution users by ensuring legibility with text resizing tools, controlling the use of white space, and creating a clear visual hierarchy that prioritizes essential content and function. Customer Experience IT Infrastructure & Operations Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Ron Rogowski" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55697&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55697 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=53402&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-53402 Understanding how information workers use smartphones and applications enables marketing executives across the mobile value chain to successfully develop products and services to address the needs of these workers. Currently, 13% of information workers use smartphones for work at least weekly, and we expect this segment to grow significantly as more employees work away from their desk or telecommute. Many information workers purchase and use smartphones that are not approved or supported by the IT department, creating security concerns for IT professionals. Information workers are going beyond vanilla email, calendar, and personal information management (PIM) applications, tapping into mobile application stores or operator portals to try out instant messaging, productivity apps, and location-based services. To take advantage of the fast-growing number of information workers relying on smartphones, business application categories must be clearly identified on mobile app store sites. Device manufacturers and mobile operators must ensure smartphone features and functionality address both personal and professional user needs. Enterprise Mobility Information & Knowledge Management Telecommunications Services High-Tech Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Michele Pelino" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=53402&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-53402 http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/enterprise_carbon_and_energy_management_systems/q/id/6104/t/1 Corporate requirements for monitoring and managing energy consumption and carbon emissions are creating a new market for software companies that Forrester calls enterprise carbon and energy management (ECEM). We are completing our first Market Overview research report that outlines the customer requirements, motivations, and competitive landscape of this emerging market. B2B Sales & Marketing Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Christopher Mines" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/enterprise_carbon_and_energy_management_systems/q/id/6104/t/1 http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/measure_and_value_iworker_productivity/q/id/6100/t/1 Improving productivity is up there with cutting costs as a fundamental goal for any organization. But what does productivity really mean for an information worker today? Increasingly complex business relationships, the influence of consumer technologies in the workplace, and competing desires to control the desktop while encouraging innovation make it difficult for business and technology leaders to know where to focus. This presentation looks at the top business goals for today's productivity investments, as well as how to determine those elusive productivity measures. These benchmarks can help enterprises build worker productivity business cases that align efforts with value. Information & Knowledge Management Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Sheri McLeish" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/measure_and_value_iworker_productivity/q/id/6100/t/1 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55492&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55492 Successfully engaging with consumers on Twitter requires both the right overarching strategy and a series of small best practices. Interactive marketers must ensure that consumers can find their brands' accounts, confirm that they are legitimate, and easily identify who is tweeting. Marketers must also provide a mixture of promotional and non-promotional content and decide how often — and in what ways — they will directly engage with consumers. To extract the greatest value possible from Twitter, balance department-level control of different accounts with a broad view of how your various accounts work together to reach users. Customer Experience Marketing & Advertising Automotive Financial Services Media & Entertainment Retail Travel Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Nate Elliott" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55492&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55492 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55410&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55410 Retail line-of-business executives know that technology plays a central role in helping to deliver improved customer service with increased margin. They look to CIOs to push what were once purely tactical point-of-sale (POS) systems to become solutions that link consumers, sales associates, back-office applications, and eCommerce platforms and deliver a competitively differentiated shopping experience. We analyzed more than 40 POS inquiries from Forrester clients and found that they fall into three broad categories: 1) POS vendor landscape; 2) trends in POS systems; and 3) POS service providers. Given the new strategic significance of POS in driving Experience-Based Differentiation in retail, CIOs need to recruit line-of-business allies to develop a comprehensive business case for strategic integration of store and headquarter applications. Packaged Applications Sourcing & Procurement Retail Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "George Lawrie" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55410&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55410 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55143&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55143 When one of the world's largest defense contractors says, "We need to move from a culture of 'need to know' to a culture of 'need to share,'" you stop and listen. Competing in an industry driven by the mantra "loose lips sink ships," BAE Systems has identified a greater threat: failing to tap the collective wisdom and actions of its people. Smart organizations are looking to tap into the full power of the enterprise and beyond to drive better and faster decisions and to foster innovation that will keep them at the forefront of the changing economy. One approach that's top of mind for business technology leaders is the use of social networks to drive communities that span traditional organizational structures, or a Facebook for the enterprise. The types of organizations that are leading the trend may well surprise you. Customer Experience Information & Knowledge Management Aerospace & Defense Healthcare & Life Sciences Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Rob Koplowitz" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55143&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55143 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=48391&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-48391 In Forrester's 89-criteria evaluation of business performance solutions (BPS) vendors, we found that IBM Cognos, Oracle, SAP, and SAS Institute led the pack because of their breadth of functionality and strength of their business intelligence (BI) foundations. SAP earned the highest current offering score, and IBM Cognos earned the highest strategy score, with Oracle having the best combination of both. Clarity Systems led the Strong Performers group with impressive planning and financial reporting capabilities. Infor was a solid Strong Performer as well, demonstrating very good functional capabilities for planning, consolidations, and performance measurement. Tagetik, a CFO-focused player from Italy, showed sophisticated financial modeling capabilities and an excellent consolidations solution. Host Analytics, the only software-as-a-service (SaaS) pure-play provider in the Forrester Wave&trade; peer group, had a well-rounded offering and a clear vision and strategy for BPS. Board International and Longview Solutions demonstrated the potential to play well in the BPS market as their latest releases gain maturity. Packaged Applications Sourcing & Procurement Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Paul D. Hamerman" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=48391&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-48391 http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/b2b_ecommerce_trends_and_solutions_market_overview/q/id/6110/t/1 Business to business (B2B) eCommerce has been evolving quickly. The online business customer's expectations have quickly changed and mirror their expectations as online consumers. Businesses are demanding better online tools from their trading partners. And new business models and customer interactions are fueling a growth in B2B eCommerce. eBusiness/eCommerce Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Brian K. Walker" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/b2b_ecommerce_trends_and_solutions_market_overview/q/id/6110/t/1 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55781&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55781 The blab-o-sphere is full of warnings, proclamations, and sales pitches about cloud services and this is only making it tougher for IT decision-makers to sort the reality from the hype in the face of pressing technology challenges. Decision-makers are wrestling to balance economic pressures, new technologies like cloud services, and increasing demands from business owners and users — so Forrester interviewed nine major sourcing deal advisory firms to get their perspectives on what aspects, if any, of cloud computing service delivery are included in enterprise outsourcing deals, and what savvy decision-makers can do now to help plan for future cloud service value. IT Infrastructure & Operations IT Services IT Spending & Budgeting Sourcing & Procurement Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Paul Roehrig, Ph.D." <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55781&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55781 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55684&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55684 As you continue to consolidate your server infrastructure and make it more cloudlike, a key hurdle that you must overcome is cost allocation for the virtual infrastructure. While most enterprises are not yet charging back or tracking virtual machine (VM) costs in a sophisticated manner, accounting for resource consumption helps to convey the ongoing cost savings being achieved through virtualization and to justify its expansion by way of future capital purchases. But how do you do this? Well, there's more to it than simply buying a chargeback tool. The best practice found among enterprises Forrester has interviewed is to start with a clear understanding of your total operational costs, divide these by your virtualization allocations, and then incent accelerated use of the virtual infrastructure through pricing and marketing via the IT service catalog. IT Infrastructure & Operations IT Spending & Budgeting Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "James Staten" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55684&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55684 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55683&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55683 As you continue to consolidate your server infrastructure and make it more cloudlike, a key hurdle you and most enterprises must overcome is the sharing of physical infrastructure between business units (BUs). While some organizations have a centralized IT budget that makes this easier, most have to wade through political waters to accomplish this objective. The enterprises that have successfully achieved a shared infrastructure did so through a combination of executive mandates and proof-before-production phased implementation. IT service catalogs can play a key marketing function as well. Here's how you can do it too. IT Infrastructure & Operations IT Management Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "James Staten" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55683&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55683 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=54979&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-54979 Retail IT is challenged to support new cross-channel offerings and the ability to sell services and merchandise not provided in the store itself. It also needs to support rapid innovation in point-of-sale (POS) peripherals and the promise of more direct-to-consumer promotion in stores. Retail CIOs must recruit the heads of business functions to help define the requirements of next-generation POS that can deliver Experience-Based Differentiation and integrate Social Computing with in-store experiences. The business case for POS replacement should be based on improved capabilities to deliver upsell and cross-sell recommendations that lift average order value and generate repeat visits through integration with enterprise apps like loyalty or order management and with in-store direct-to-consumer promotion. Application Development IT Spending & Budgeting Retail Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "George Lawrie" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=54979&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-54979 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55722&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55722 This presentation analyzes client management software adoption trends across the North American and European enterprise and SMB market. Client Systems IT Infrastructure & Operations IT Spending & Budgeting Security & Risk Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Benjamin Gray" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55722&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55722 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55614&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55614 Understanding how and why consumers experience the drive to adopt new products can help consumer product strategists trying to sell newer products. Concepts from academic psychology can be wedded to Forrester's Technographics segmentation to demonstrate how information, novelty, and status drive early adoption. Consumers motivated by career, family, and entertainment experience these drives differently; understanding these differences will allow product strategists to more effectively design, market, and sell new consumer products. Consumer Technology Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Abe Garon, James L. McQuivey, Ph.D." <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55614&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55614 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=54503&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-54503 A new liability is coming onto the collective balance sheet of companies around the world: carbon. In the context of increasing awareness of the business and societal risks of climate change, corporate carbon emissions (and the energy consumption that creates them) are being scrutinized as a crucial indicator of business performance. And the spreadsheet data that most companies use to estimate their carbon footprint will not withstand that scrutiny from customers, regulators, and shareholders — enterprises need a new system of record based on verifiable data and automated processes, hence the advent of enterprise carbon and energy management (ECEM) systems. We expect that ECEM will be a mainstream element of corporate software backbones over the next five years. Enterprise IT organizations will come to the fore as the principle buyers of such systems, and, while we expect the big enterprise software suppliers to dominate the market, there will be plenty of opportunity for innovative smaller players. B2B Sales & Marketing IT Infrastructure & Operations IT Spending & Budgeting Security & Risk Government High-Tech Retail Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Christopher Mines" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=54503&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-54503 http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/how_will_sharepoint_2010_affect_enterprise_search/q/id/6105/t/1 In the 18 months since Microsoft completed the acquisition of FAST, the enterprise search market has changed. Microsoft recently revealed the search and metadata functionality that will be available in SharePoint 2010. During this teleconference Forrester discusses the shifting enterprise search market and explores how to craft a customized search and metadata strategy for your enterprise needs. Information & Knowledge Management Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Leslie Owens" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/how_will_sharepoint_2010_affect_enterprise_search/q/id/6105/t/1 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55748&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55748 Microsoft's Team Foundation Server (TFS) has proven very popular with .NET developers but not so much with Eclipse developers. This presents a problem for Microsoft, because many of its largest customers develop for both .NET and Java and want a consolidated application life-cycle management (ALM) solution that will support development teams regardless of what platform they use. Over the past few years, Microsoft has pointed to a partner's product — SourceGear's Teamprise Client Suite — as its recommended solution to the heterogeneity problem. This has proven unsatisfactory to many customers, so after a long internal debate, Microsoft has acquired the Teamprise code base. Microsoft will release an updated version of Teamprise as part of its Visual Studio 2010 release train and will reduce the new solution's overall per-developer cost. The resulting product combination will prove much more attractive to large enterprises, which will now have the option of a lower-cost ALM solution for all the platforms they use, supported by the full force of Microsoft. Application Development B2B Sales & Marketing IT Infrastructure & Operations High-Tech Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT "Jeffrey S. Hammond" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=55748&src=RSS_CustomFeed&cm_mmc=Forrester-_-RSS-_-Document-_-55748