For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Trends That Will Reshape R&D Post-Recession

Sourcing Professionals Need To Prepare For Global Design Services

by Sudin Apte, July 23, 2009

Product development is poised to undergo huge changes in the next two years. From headquarters-centric R&D centers, firms will instead globally distribute their R&D structure to more effectively enter new geographic markets. To sell in local markets, . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

There's Gold For Vendors In Stimulus Packages

But It Will Take Mining To Get At The Opportunities That Exist

by Andrew Bartels, Jennifer Belissent, Ph.D., Heidi Lo, July 7, 2009

As economies around the world slid into recession, governments in the US and many other countries rushed out economic stimulus programs. Many programs have funds explicitly set aside for technology goods and services; others provide implicit opportunities . . .

For Enterprise Architecture Professionals

Pharmaceutical Industry Trends Drive EA

The Impact Of Consolidation, Cost Pressures, And Networked Business Models On Pharma IT Means EA Practices Must Change

by Henry Peyret, April 28, 2009

The pharmaceutical industry faces enormous challenges — from changes in how pharmaceutical companies develop and source products, to pricing pressures, to increasingly stringent regulatory environments. These business changes are driving IT to both reduce . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Emerging Energy Technologies Open Opportunities For The Technology Industry

And No, We're Not Talking Just About Green IT

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., January 20, 2009

The global drive to research and deploy new energy technologies creates major opportunities for technology companies. Information technology — from collaboration tools to custom-built research applications, from asset management tools to customer relationship . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Cisco 3.0: A New Tech Star Rises In The East

Cisco Uses India To Evolve From An MNC Into A Globally Adaptive Organization

by Navi Radjou, December 29, 2008

Cisco is systematically globalizing its US-centric corporate culture. To capture the exploding market opportunities in the eastern hemisphere, CEO John Chambers opened the Globalisation Centre East (GCE) in Bangalore in 2007, which de facto acts as Cisco's . . .

For Information & Knowledge Management Professionals

An Information Management Professional's Introduction To Innovation Management Tools

by Matthew Brown, December 3, 2008

Great ideas to improve the bottom line can come from anywhere within a business. Increasingly, companies include upper management, line-of-business people, and external sources like customers, partners, and suppliers in the innovation process. So it's . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

The Tech CEO's 2009 Innovation Agenda

CEOs: Execute A Five-Point Innovation Program To Win In 2009 And Beyond

by Navi Radjou, December 1, 2008

As they elaborate their 2009 strategic plans, tech CEOs might be tempted to prioritize "restructuring efforts," such as across-the-board cost-cutting, in order to survive the deepening global economic recession. While these tactical moves are necessary . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

The Hour Of The Vendor Strategist: Three Mega Business Trends Will Reshape The Tech Sector

by Thomas Mendel, Ph.D., Navi Radjou, November 21, 2008

The news headlines are awash with gloom-and-doom news about the mortgage crisis, the financial sector's meltdown, and rising unemployment. Western economies are undoubtedly plunging into a recession. Yet, Forrester encourages forward-thinking tech vendors . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Serious Games Uncover Serious Requirements

by TJ Keitt, Tom Grant, Ph.D., November 19, 2008

Serious gaming provides an alternate way to collect and analyze product requirements. An increasing number of companies are using serious games to inform product decisions. At the same time, a small number of serious gaming vendors have emerged, providing . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

How Can India Boost Its Tech Economy's Global Competitiveness?

by Navi Radjou, October 6, 2008

The Indian IT industry is losing its international competitiveness; it dropped from 46th to 48th in The Economist's global IT industry competitiveness index 2008. India's worrying demotion is due to its dismal IT infrastructure, acute talent shortage, . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Microsoft Unleashes India's Creative Capitalism

Microsoft Taps Grassroots Innovation Ecosystems To Serve Indian Communities

by Navi Radjou, October 2, 2008

Microsoft's 17-month-old Unlimited Potential (UP) program brings together the company's business strategy and corporate citizenship goals in a coordinated effort. UP's goal? To help address the diverse social and economic issues faced by 5 billion people . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Tapping The Wisdom Of Experts

The Practice Of Expert Sourcing Will Organize The Way The World Innovates

by Chris Townsend, September 29, 2008

Corporate use of Innovation Networks is rapidly expanding as many fast followers adopt them. The result? Organizations are now managing diversified portfolios of innovation sources that include not only in-house engineers and product managers but also . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Market Momentum: Middleware Software Market, H1 2008

by Stefan Ried, Ph.D., September 16, 2008

The middleware software market continues to mature — from the bottom of the technology stack to the higher layers. A set of 15 representative vendors announced a healthy mix of new product innovations and the maintenance of existing products with successive . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Debunking The Offshore Product Innovation Illusion

High-Tech Product Firms Underuse The Indian Product Design Opportunity

by Sudin Apte, September 12, 2008

Despite the well-established trend to offshore work to India, most high-tech product companies' India development centers (IDCs) or captive facilities neither live up to global product development hype nor deliver proven offshore benefits. Most technology . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

The Three Archetypes Of Innovation Management Tools

Vendors: Embody The Right Archetype To Speed Customer Acquisition

by Chris Townsend, August 14, 2008

As the innovation management tools market matures, three distinct provider archetypes will emerge to stabilize the tech solution ecosystem — innovation platform providers, innovation event orchestrators, and innovation community facilitators. For vendor . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Corporate India Plugs Into Innovation Networks

Open-Minded Indian Firms Broker And Transform Inventions Sourced Worldwide

by Navi Radjou, July 9, 2008

Unlike Western companies stuck in vertically integrated R&D and go-to-market models, Indian firms realize that you don't need to invent in order to innovate in today's interconnected knowledge economy. To win in the 21st century global marketplace, . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) For Product Development

R&D Executives Have Distinct PPM Requirements; Technology Options Abound

by Roy C. Wildeman, June 20, 2008

Just as CIOs are turning to project portfolio management (PPM) software to help drive faster, more predictable IT projects, R&D executives are investigating PPM initiatives to address similar pain points in the product development process. Unlike . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

The Tech CEO's Guide To Implementing Customer-Focused Innovation Networks

by Navi Radjou, May 8, 2008

To win in the emerging partner-rich, user-empowered global IT ecosystem, Forrester believes that tech providers must form customer-focused Innovation Networks (CFINs) in which they co-create innovation value with their corporate clients. But implementing . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Customer-Focused Innovation Networks Emerge

Vendors Can Maximize IT Ecosystem Value By Engaging Clients As Co-Innovators

by Navi Radjou, April 22, 2008

With the rise of a new global IT ecosystem that places a huge premium on partnerships, tech vendors are rushing to form Innovation Networks — multiplying R&D and go-to-market alliances with academics, startups, venture capital firms, developer communities, . . .

For Enterprise Architecture Professionals

Can EA Drive Business Innovation?

Point/Counterpoint From Forrester's Enterprise Architecture Forum 2008

by Gene Leganza, Ken Vollmer, April 17, 2008

In spite of the existence of many organizational barriers, enterprise architecture (EA) can successfully drive business innovation efforts. However, this must be done through close collaboration with the business units that will be the ultimate beneficiaries . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Inquiry Insights: Innovation, Q1 2008

by Navi Radjou, Chris Townsend, April 10, 2008

After several years of dedicated research coverage of innovation as a management concept, Forrester's analysis of its client inquiries shows a steady increase in the volume and specificity of client questions around this topic. Inquiries from user companies . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Selecting The Right Offshore Product Development Provider For Your Goals

Targeted Questions Help Separate Strategic Providers From The Crowd

by Sudin Apte, April 4, 2008

Forrester has received many questions about the offshore product development marketplace. But, as in other markets, one size does not fit all. First sourcing and vendor management professionals must understand what levels of value are possible. With that . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Tapping The Full Potential Of Offshore Product Development

Ten Best Practices To Maximize Value And Savings

by Sudin Apte, February 5, 2008

Sending IT and applications related work offshore is a routine business decision in most enterprises. But now organizations and R&D heads are debating whether to send product development offshore as well. Skewed views about the nature of the work, . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Topic Overview: Offshore Services

by Stephanie Moore, John C. McCarthy, September 24, 2007

The forces driving offshore IT services are undeniably compelling. Companies are under intense pressure to reduce — or at least contain — IT costs. Years of downsizing have resulted in a shortage of skills and the need to improve service. Outsourcing . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Memo To The Next French President: Integrate France In Global Innovation Networks For Growth

by Navi Radjou, April 23, 2007

The next French President, who will be elected on May 6, must recognize that France can't compete globally on innovation merely by investing in more R&D. It must also internalize what Forrester calls global Innovation Networks, where countries as . . .