For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

From Tech Product Management To Social Product Management

Social Media Compel Qualitative Changes In Tech Product Management

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

As tools change, so does the work that people do. In many technology companies, the traditional role of product manager and product marketer may not sufficiently accommodate the full implications of social media tools in product decision-making. Even . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Tech Product Management/Marketing Job And Department Profiler  (427 KB XLS)

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., October 1, 2009

This tool helps product management/product marketing (PM) leaders define the job description for a particular PM in their departments. The output of this tool compares the individual PM to industry baselines for different PM job categories, such as product . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

In Hard Economic Times, Technology Companies Must Make Implementation The Priority

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., September 15, 2009

As the current recession continues, and technology buyers keep a keen eye on total costs, missing or poorly defined implementation capabilities can stop new purchases short. Technology vendors must put implementation program design and execution high . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Staying Ahead Of SharePoint

How Enterprise 2.0 Vendors Can Remain Viable In 2010 And Beyond

by G. Oliver Young, July 27, 2009

The enterprise 2.0 market — the use of Web 2.0 software for employee productivity and collaboration — has been moving along at a healthy clip for the past few years, allowing specialist enterprise 2.0 software companies to roll up customers and revenue. . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

When Looking For Product Insights, Not All Social Media Are Created Equal

The Choice Of Social Media Depends On The B2B Question Asked

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., July 10, 2009

"Location" — the "L" in Forrester's PLOT method for applying social media to product management decision-making — deserves special attention. The landscape of social media is now so broad, the tools so varied, and the creation costs so (relatively) low . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Social Media Lower The Risks Of Bad Requirements

Product Managers Must Master The Inbound Side Of The Groundswell

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., June 8, 2009

To date, technology vendors have based product decisions on meager, skewed, and unreliable information, with predictable results. Schedule slips, user rejection, and other expensive problems are directly attributable to this highly flawed customer and . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The Enterprise 2.0 Buyer Profile: 2009

The Top Priorities And Needs Of Firms Looking At Enterprise 2.0 Technology

by G. Oliver Young, May 7, 2009

In 2009, nearly one in two businesses will make use of enterprise 2.0 software, a staggering number given that the application of social software to employee collaboration and productivity goals is just three years old. However, few firms are currently . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Company Agility Evaluator  (145 KB XLS)

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., February 24, 2009

This tool helps measure agility on two levels: 1) the speed with which a development team that employs Agile methods can adapt and deliver; 2) the ability of other groups within the company to work effectively with the development team. The tool also . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The ROI Of Improved Requirements  (112 KB XLS)

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., February 4, 2009

Calculate the likely benefit, measured in revenue from product sales, for implementing a requirements tool. In the process, identify the product issues that may need greater attention.

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 Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Market Overview: The Broad Opportunities In Managed Services

Facing Uncertainty And Change, The Managed Services Market Is Poised For Growth

by Henry Dewing, November 7, 2008

All firms are interested in managed services to help manage and mitigate their risks associated with technology decisions — particularly in a down economic environment. Forrester sees some macro-economic factors, including rapid technology evolutions, . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Future View: The New Tech Ecosystems Of Cloud, Cloud Services, And Cloud Computing

Understanding, Segmenting, And Competing In The Next Computing Evolution

by Frank E. Gillett, August 28, 2008

Strategists at product and service purveyors, big and small, are pondering the right paths to take as a variety of Web and Internet "cloud" technologies and cloud services offerings envelop the market. Three myths are fogging up the options: 1) Cloud . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Product Managers Are Working On The Wrong Things

Inbound Tasks Must Take Priority

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., July 18, 2008

In the technology industry, product management has a unique, strategic responsibility that is not shared with anyone else in the company: matching product and market requirements to decisions about products and services. Unfortunately, product managers . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Demand Insights: Enterprise Mobility 2008

Mobility Use Expands Year Over Year — But The Supplier Market Is Still Murky

by Michele Pelino, July 11, 2008

For years there has been a lot of talk — but not much action — around enterprise mobility. Today, the tide is turning. Results from Forrester's Enterprise Network And Telecommunications Survey, North America And Europe, Q1 2008, show that mobility initiatives . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Firms Want Managed Unified Communications

Solutions Must Mitigate Technology — And Business Risk

by Henry Dewing, July 11, 2008

The number of unified communications (UC) evaluations and pilots is up more than 20% since last year. However, those pilots have not yet translated into full deployments. Why? Unclear value of ROI, rapidly evolving technologies and standards, immature . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Improving Your Product Management Tools

Innovators Show How And Why To Do It

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., June 16, 2008

Most product managers rely on tools — predominantly, Microsoft Office — that do not adequately support them. The information in question is critical to any technology company: What do customers really need, and, by extension, what should we be providing? . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The Screening Of Global Business

The Business Digitization Voyage Evolves In Three Phases

by Henry Dewing, June 16, 2008

Today, progressive firms are introducing video and other types of digital media like audio, podcasts, and digital pictures to improve business processes and collaboration. However, most firms are confused by what is needed. In response, digital media . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Case Study: PAETEC's Customer-Focused Strategy Captures US SMBs

by Michele Pelino, May 30, 2008

PAETEC, a US communications solution provider, often flies under the radar screen when compared with better-known wireline operators like AT&T and Verizon. This may be about to change — PAETEC recently acquired US LEC, Allworx, and McLeodUSA to expand . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

X86 Virtualization Drives New Buyer Behavior

SMBs Will Adopt Enterprise-Style Approaches And Criteria For Servers

by Frank E. Gillett, May 23, 2008

Despite just a couple of year's experience with x86 server virtualization, IT managers have virtualized an average of almost one-quarter of their servers. And cost-cutting is no longer the sole motivation — business continuity and server manageability . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

More Green Progress In Enterprise IT

by Christopher Mines, May 16, 2008

Forrester completed its third survey of enterprise IT professionals in April 2008 to understand the state of green IT awareness and adoption in corporate computing. Our latest survey results show continuing advancement of both awareness and activity, . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The End Of Product Development

Tech Vendors Will Focus On Building Value For Clients, Not Just Products

by Tom Grant, Ph.D., April 15, 2008

Technology companies labor for months or years on new products, only to find that customers are disappointed with the results. The culprit behind these mistakes is the product development cycle itself, as well as the unchallenged assumptions behind it. . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

High Performance And Grid Computing Don't Generate Broad Interest

Marketers Should Lead With Business Value, Not These Tech Themes

by Frank E. Gillett, March 11, 2008

Global enterprise buyer interest in grid computing grew slightly in 2007, but the growth was mostly in Asia Pacific, with nearly flat interest in North America and a decline in interest in Europe. For the first time, we also asked buyers about high performance . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Green IT Nudges Tech Adoption

Technologies Like Videoconferencing And Thin Clients Will Get A Second Look

by Christopher Mines, March 10, 2008

As enterprise IT organizations continue to adopt green principles, they'll take another look at technologies that reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, both within the IT shop and across the business. Enterprises going green will give a nudge . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Inquiry Insights: Enterprise Mobility, Q1 2008

by Michele Pelino, March 4, 2008

Forrester receives more than 20,000 inquiries per year that provide a pulse on what are, for our clients, hot topics and pain points. During the past five years, Forrester fielded more than 1,000 inquiries on the topic of enterprise mobility, more than . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Inquiry Insights: Green IT, Q1 2008

Forrester Clients Ask The What, Why, And How Of Sustainable Computing

by Christopher Mines, February 29, 2008

Forrester clients submit roughly 20,000 analyst inquiries each year. In aggregate, these one-on-one interactions create a map of topical hotspots among Forrester's client base, with important insights for technology marketers. Since initiating research . . .