For B2B Market Research Professionals

The Online Panel Quality Wars: All Market Researchers Benefit — Especially B2B Tech

by Brad Bortner, November 20, 2009

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 . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

B2B eBusiness: Preparing For Online Liftoff

by Carrie Johnson, Elizabeth Davis, November 17, 2009

As more and more traditionally nonconsumer brands begin to move online, questions abound: How do we sell online? What do we sell to — or how do we service — our customers online? How do we organize to optimize the channel? The good news is that B2B companies . . .

For Enterprise Architecture Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: B2B Service Providers, Q4 2009

GXS, Inovis, And Sterling Commerce Lead, With Seeburger, Axway, And Crossgate Close Behind

by Ken Vollmer, October 29, 2009

In Forrester's 85-criteria evaluation of B2B service provider vendors, we found that GXS, Inovis, and Sterling Commerce led the pack due to the comprehensive nature of their business to business (B2B) hosted document exchange and managed services offerings . . .

For Security & Risk Professionals

Shift In Ownership: Protecting Data Outside Your Four Walls  (1.6 MB PPT)

by Robert Whiteley, October 28, 2009

In September 2009, Forrester hosted a two-day event designed to help security and risk professionals understand the top three shifts impacting their job heading. This document summarizes the key recommendations we made to help master the shift in ownership . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

How B2B Technology Buyers Use Social Media

Support Forums Rank Highest Among Emerging Tactics

by Laura Ramos, October 26, 2009

Technology buying is a highly considered, collaborative process, one ideally suited for social interactions. To see how emerging digital media affect the process, Forrester surveyed 1,217 technology decision-makers to find out which online sources will . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Rewrite The Netbook Story For Business Technology Buyers

Position Netbooks For Business Use — Especially In Emerging Markets

by Jennifer Belissent, Ph.D., October 9, 2009

For a device that originated in the concept of the $100-laptop, the netbook certainly hasn't been fully marketed to emerging markets. Nor have firms really marketed netbooks for serious business use. Netbooks have become known as companion devices for . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Reach Real Global B2B Tech Audiences With Virtual Events

New Tools And Best Practices For B2B Marketing Beyond Borders

by Jennifer Belissent, Ph.D., October 6, 2009

The downturn is turning out to be a double whammy for tech marketers. Budget cuts and a significant drop in the effectiveness of tried-and-true tools, like trade shows, make calls to reach wider audiences through traditional marketing activities problematic. . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Turning Your B2B Web Site Into A Community Hub

Social Media Marketing That Is Persistent, Consistent, And Scalable

by G. Oliver Young, Peter Burris, September 30, 2009

Social media is becoming a major focus in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. However, many marketers are allowing their community marketing approaches to emerge out of piecemeal technology purchases and community participation. To embrace a customer . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Lead Management Automation Market Overview

Multiple Vendor Choices And Confusing Claims Slow Adoption

by Laura Ramos, September 22, 2009

Lead management automation (LMA) requires a degree of process maturity many business-to-business (B2B) firms don't possess, resulting in underachievement by vendors and users alike. Yet, the benefits of adopting LMA are clear: B2B marketers that successfully . . .

For Security & Risk Professionals

Active Directory Q&A: Demand Rises

Directory Consolidation Saves On Administrative Costs, Eases Provisioning

by Andras Cser, August 11, 2009

For the past 10 years, Active Directory (AD) has remained the backbone of identity infrastructures. Organizations continue to struggle with consolidating AD domains across the enterprise and centralizing ownership for them. Business partners' information . . .

For Sourcing & Vendor Management Professionals

Enterprises Should Push Supplier Networks To Deliver Interoperability

The Plethora Of Discrete Networks Detracts From ePurchasing's Value

by Duncan Jones, July 30, 2009

Enterprises use supplier networks to trade electronically with their suppliers, but they find that insufficient cooperation between rivals limits potential progress. Chief purchasing officers (CPOs) and their ePurchasing program managers struggle to get . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

The State Of US Small Business Banking

Nearly Two-Thirds Of Small Businesses Use The Web For Financial Transactions

by Brad Strothkamp, Peter Wannemacher, July 21, 2009

There are more than 25 million small businesses — firms with fewer than 500 employees — in the US, and more than one in 10 US online consumers is a small business owner. The recession has had a profound effect on these firms, yet small business owners . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The Seven Deadly Sins Of B2B Channel Enablement

Channel Partners Sound Off

by Tim Harmon, July 17, 2009

Current economic conditions are laying bare what's not working for channel partners, exposing issues ranging from channel conflict, to the "channel usability" of technologies, to community disenfranchisement. As companies try to move more volume through . . .

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 Enterprise Architecture Professionals

Selecting A Comprehensive Integration Solution  (1.6 MB PPT)

by Ken Vollmer, July 7, 2009

This presentation discusses the factors that should be considered when choosing a comprehensive integration solution. Refer to the recent Forrester document entitled "Create An Enterprise Integration Strategy To Lower Your Costs" for additional information . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Digital Marketing: A Global Deep Dive Into Local Decision-Makers

Map Local Marketing Mix To How Buyers Inform Purchase Decisions

by Jennifer Belissent, Ph.D., July 6, 2009

Expanding into new markets requires tech marketers to sharpen local marketing strategies. Buyers in emerging markets, shaped by distinct cultures, languages, and channels, buy according to local business criteria and information sources. Buyers gather . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Start Your Global Social Media Strategy Locally

Insights From Forrester's Social Media Analyst Day

by Jennifer Belissent, Ph.D., June 25, 2009

A group of tech marketers and Forrester analysts recently engaged in an all-day Forrester event in London on the use of social media in a B2B marketing context. Our discussions focused on trends in social media adoption by B2B technology buyers and nascent . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Marketers: Tap Into Social Networking Sites To Energize Community Marketing

by Laura Ramos, June 17, 2009

Social networking sites let members connect and share ideas, insights, and experiences. Business marketers see membership on social sites swell but wonder if marketing there will raise awareness or generate demand. Rather than treat social networks like . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Case Study: MetricStream Builds B2B Community With ComplianceOnline

by Laura Ramos, June 17, 2009

As a premier destination for content, training, and advisory services dedicated to regulatory compliance, IT governance, and corporate risk management, ComplianceOnline is a model online community that delivers two million visitors annually to MetricStream's . . .

For Enterprise Architecture Professionals

Create An Enterprise Integration Strategy To Lower Your Costs

A Methodology For Effectively Addressing Today's Business Integration Challenges

by Ken Vollmer, June 12, 2009

Enterprises have traditionally tackled integration challenges as an offshoot of their application development activities, but this approach's effectiveness is waning rapidly. As business challenges become more complex and involve more intricate interactions . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

B2B Digital Marketing: A Deep Dive Into Insurance IT Decision-Makers

by Ellen Carney, Emily Van Metre, June 2, 2009

Insurance professionals seem unlikely candidates for social media use. They trust familiar information sources, value personal relationships, and are generally risk-averse. However, this group's interest in social media is not only on par with their peers . . .

For Technology Sales Enablement Professionals

Demand Insights: Predictive Analytics In The Financial Services Sector

How IBM Helps Banks And Insurers Get The Business They Really Want

by Ellen Carney, June 2, 2009

Banks and insurers do a great job acquiring customers, but they fall down when it comes to cross- and upselling other services. Few financial services institutions even know if the customers they have are actually the kind of business that they want. . . .

For Information & Knowledge Management Professionals

The Forrester Wave™: Web Content Management For External Sites, Q2 2009

SDL Tridion, Interwoven, And FatWire Lead, While Microsoft Makes Inroads

by Stephen Powers, Tim Walters, Ph.D., June 1, 2009

Forrester evaluated 10 leading Web content management (WCM) vendors across approximately 115 criteria and found that SDL Tridion continues its leadership in enabling organizations to deliver persuasive customer experiences on publicly facing Web sites. . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Effective Customer Reference Management Anchors B2B Community Marketing Efforts

by Laura Ramos, May 27, 2009

Customer references validate product claims and streamline the sales process, both vital activities in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Yet, even as program budgets grow and reference pools swell, customer reference management risks sliding to second-class . . .

For Vendor Strategy Professionals

Mobile App Stores Are Important To Biz Users

App Stores Must Make Their Stores Sing To Business Buyers

by Michele Pelino, May 21, 2009

The Apple App Store for iPhones opened in mid-2008 and grabbed the attention of independent application developers and mobile device users as a software distribution channel for new mobile applications. In turn, the Apple App Store's success is causing . . .