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=46636&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed To get work done, distributed and B2B teams need real-time collaboration tools that replicate the power and experience of face-to-face meetings and support "pervasive" interactions. Fortunately, real-time tools are getting better. Presence shows team members' context; instant messaging (IM) moves the dialog to mobile devices; Web conferencing allows video and document sharing; and telepresence delivers face-time quality. But which tools are best for your teams? A new analysis, based on the way your teams interact and how they are distributed, will help you choose the right tools and vendors. Information & Knowledge Management IT Management Telecommunications Services Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Ted Schadler" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46636&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46452&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Carrier Ethernet services have reached mass adoption in Europe and are challenging multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) virtual private networks (VPNs) as the first choice for enterprise WANs — 42% of European enterprises have fully deployed site-to-site Ethernet, up from 25% a year ago. Lower costs, better performance, and increased flexibility have driven this growth. The major carriers have all announced massive plans to upgrade and extend their Ethernet services, and they are interconnecting their services to facilitate global delivery. In 2007, most services on offer were point-to-point Ethernet services delivered over SDH or directly over fiber. Today, Ethernet services delivered over carrier core MPLS networks using the virtual private LAN service (VPLS) standard are mainstream in Europe, following launches by AT&T and Cable & Wireless (C&W). IT ops also needs to reorient itself for converged access to multiple services via a single Ethernet circuit, which has become European enterprises' favorite choice for WAN access. Networking Telecommunications Services Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Phil Sayer" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46452&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46027&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Forrester applied its Web Site Review methodology to the site experiences at 12 firms — three each of the largest newspapers, TV broadcasters, retailers, and wireless providers in the UK. Of all the evaluated sites, only BT achieved a passing score — and only by a slim margin. As a group, wireless providers outperformed other industries, while retailers fell to the bottom of the list. But we did encounter some good practices along the way, like O2's standout content, The Guardian's legible font size, and BBC's strong contextual help. To improve Web site experiences, firms should use personas to focus on specific user needs and look beyond usability to desirability. Customer Experience Telecommunications Services Consumer Industries Consumer Technology Adoption eBusiness/eCommerce Media & Entertainment Retail Tue, 02 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Marta Baigorri" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46027&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=45947&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed A couple of years ago, Forrester showed how Europe was divided on technology adoption between the fast-paced Northern European countries and some slower-developing Southern European countries. Our analysis of Technographics&reg; consumer data shows that the North-South divide still persists, but the different levels of maturity of the regions have also brought up some new challenges. This means that even with the higher uptake of the Internet in Southern Europe, companies still have to adapt their strategy and marketing depending on the country they are involved in. Telecommunications Services Consumer Technology Adoption eBusiness/eCommerce Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Valerie Batut" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=45947&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=45428&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed This Technographics Insight takes a look at the global adoption of the Internet and broadband. It also compares the profile of Internet and broadband users across countries. Telecommunications Services Consumer Industries Consumer Technology Adoption Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Valerie Batut" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=45428&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46917&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed As enterprises continue to migrate to emerging WAN services like Ethernet, it's easy to succumb to the path of least resistance by simply evaluating and migrating to the incumbent WAN provider's new offers. Think again. Forrester's evaluation of responses to Ethernet service requests for information (RFI) reveals few services providers are able to meet, or even understand, the service requirements of clients with rigorous network performance criteria. When contemplating major changes in critical telecommunications network services — such as migrating from traditional private lines to Ethernet — network infrastructure professionals must resist the temptation to make a hasty technology and service selection decision and instead, carefully assess providers' capabilities. Networking Sourcing & Procurement Telecommunications Services Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Robert Whiteley" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46917&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46733&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed The wholesale market was created by the liberalization of the communications sector — a process that began in the mid-1980s in the US and the UK and has since spread across the globe. For 20 years, this initial phase of the market met most of the needs of the time despite its imperfections. A second evolutionary phase has emerged, characterized by new networks, more efficient operations, increased competition, and demands for new services to rectify these imperfections. This phase is characterized by higher demand for wholesale services, next-generation network (NGN) rollouts, and changes in regulation. As the pace of change accelerates, we see a third evolutionary phase emerging where the bold can prosper by embracing the opportunities created by video, mobility, and other new services enabled by new networks, systems, and technology. Those less brave are at risk of becoming commodity providers. Telecommunications Services High-Tech Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Mike Cansfield" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46733&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=44771&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed In 2008, contact centers are leaning toward an increased emphasis on self-service and applications that provide greater insight into customer experience. Organizations are also considering how to support their customers more proactively and reach beyond the walls of traditional centers to include remote experts and home agents. Forrester's 2008 survey of contact center decision-makers finds increased interest in services delivered as hosted or software-as-a-service (SaaS) to reduce upfront expenses. Additionally, more companies are turning to outsourced and managed services for their operations. IP adoption continues to expand, with more than 30% of companies indicating they have deployed or are rolling out IP contact centers, which is a significant increase over previous years. IT infrastructure and operations (I&O) managers need to demonstrate a positive ROI to justify contact center upgrades and investments, support more efficient operations, and improve customer support. Enterprise Mobility IT Services Networking Packaged Applications Telecommunications Services eBusiness/eCommerce Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Elizabeth Herrell" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=44771&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/unified_communications_key_trends_and_vendor_insight/q/id/5100/t/1 Enterprise Mobility Information & Knowledge Management Networking Telecommunications Services Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Elizabeth Herrell" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/rb/teleconference/unified_communications_key_trends_and_vendor_insight/q/id/5100/t/1 http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46795&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Over the past two years, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has significantly expanded its footprint with telecom service providers, thanks to its strong focus on and expertise in next-generation operational supporting systems (NGOSS). The company has made a concerted effort to align its telecom-related skills and solutions portfolio with telco providers' NGOSS end-to-end business needs. TCS differentiates itself from its competitors with its strong, methodical approach to implementation and transformation as well as its flexible global resource pool. Furthermore, TCS benefits from its highly consultative go-to-market approach and a strong partner ecosystem, which help drive market visibility and momentum. However, to continue on its growth path, TCS needs to get much better at articulating its underlying NGOSS vision and road map to clients and partners. IT Services Telecommunications Services High-Tech Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Pascal Matzke, Daniel Krauss" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46795&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=45760&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed The telecom managed services market is full of activity, with 88% of North American and European firms reporting that they have purchased some type of managed telecom service. Despite the heat in the market, both vendors and buyers are struggling to get a handle on what is happening in this space. An analysis of Forrester's inquiries going back to July 2007 shows that firms want: 1) to gain an understanding of what is happening and what will happen in this market; 2) to know what service providers buyers will turn to; and 3) a level set as to what buyers should expect in terms of cost and capabilities. Networking Telecommunications Services Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Henry Dewing, TJ Keitt" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=45760&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46351&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Globalization is taking a firm hold on enterprises in every industry sector. Multinational corporation (MNC) IT sourcing experts are keen to obtain insights about what other large firms are doing to address the growing challenges to cost-effectively support their increasingly mobile workforces. Major mobility support challenges for MNCs include: 1) controlling international mobile roaming costs; 2) multicountry wireless service provisioning and contract management; 3) integrated telecom expense and invoice management (TEIM); 4) wireless device life-cycle management; and 5) establishing consistent global mobility policies. The emerging ecosystem of global mobility solutions providers includes mobile and landline carriers with many enterprise customers, major systems integrators (SIs), and a fast-growing number of specialists offering mostly point solutions. MNC sourcing groups should consider outsourcing mobility support where possible, including probing remote-access and wireless service providers about their mobility road maps. Enterprise Mobility IT Infrastructure & Operations Sourcing & Procurement Telecommunications Services Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Brownlee Thomas, Ph.D." <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46351&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46297&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Governments, whether national, state, provincial, or local, are prime customers and prospects for technology marketers. To better understand government technology buyers, Forrester asked 136 government IT and telecommunications executives in North America and Europe about their priorities in 2008 and where they go to address their information needs. The upshot? Mobility is government IT buyers' top issue, and they rely heavily on the Web for research and information. Enterprise Mobility Networking Sourcing & Procurement Telecommunications Services eBusiness/eCommerce Government High-Tech Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Alan E. Webber" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46297&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=44184&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Driven by economic changes like the rising cost of gas, social trends like work-life balance, and the proliferation of collaboration technologies, consumers are changing the way that they work. Rather than commuting to a central office every day, 9% of consumers telecommute from home for an external employer, and 22.8 million run a business out of their home. When it comes to their telecommunications services, these home workers have distinct needs that are a combination of their personal and work activities. Yet telcos, cablecos, and ISPs have not focused on this attractive segment of "prosumer" home workers and thus have not yet capitalized on their unique market value. To do so going forward, providers need a designated prosumer product strategist who can mix product offerings, feature sets, and marketing messaging from the consumer and business worlds. Enterprise Mobility Information & Knowledge Management Telecommunications Services Consumer Industries Consumer Technology Adoption High-Tech Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Sally M. Cohen" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=44184&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46724&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Forrester's previous analysis of nine industries showed that good customer experience correlates highly to loyalty — especially when it comes to consumers' plans for making additional purchases. For this report, we took a look at how the correlation between customer experience and loyalty differed between the 112 firms in that analysis and each of their respective industries' averages. It turns out that 20 firms, including Cablevision and Farmers Insurance, have an above average correlation for both measures of loyalty that we examined. Forty-five firms, including Vanguard and the Gap, fell below their industry averages for correlation with both loyalty measures. There's nothing inherently good or bad about having a high level of correlation between customer experience and loyalty. The differences are driven by a combination of industry-specific and company-specific factors. But firms with a higher degree of correlation have potentially more to gain by improving their customer experience. Customer Experience Marketing & Advertising Telecommunications Services Consumer Industries Consumer Technology Adoption Financial Services Healthcare & Life Sciences Retail Mon, 04 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Bruce D. Temkin" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46724&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46363&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Mobility is a priority for the majority of enterprises today. Whether formalizing and executing a mobile strategy, providing more mobility support to employees, or implementing a solution to ensure seamless coverage across multiple networks, enterprises are making mobile infrastructure investments. While in-house wireless LAN (WLAN) networks continue to reign supreme, enterprises are now looking to supplement WLAN coverage with public Wi-Fi and public cellular networks, especially with WiMAX services on the horizon. Why the sudden interest in mobility investments? Because today's enterprises must cater to a changing workforce — that grew up entrenched in a mobile lifestyle — and ratchet up productivity by providing access to business-critical apps for employees on the go. As an IT ops exec preparing to make investments in mobile infrastructure, you should articulate a clear understanding of your organization's plans for current and future networks, work with project management and architecture teams to understand bandwidth needs, and have realistic estimates of mobile application demands. Enterprise Mobility Networking Telecommunications Services Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Chris Silva" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46363&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=44829&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed As standards have matured, WiMAX has garnered increased enterprise interest and vendor hype. If key providers in the US, notably Clearwire and Sprint, deploy the service as planned over the next 12 to 18 months, enterprises can look at WiMAX as a WAN connectivity option in populated areas with the strong potential to augment and eventually replace fixed, portable, and mobile broadband connections. But its window of opportunity is limited because other providers plan to introduce their own wireless broadband services in the years ahead. For companies that are interested in using WiMAX within a building or campus environment, it can act as a WLAN extension technology that can serve backhaul and failover needs. It's unlikely many domestic enterprises will use WiMAX as a complete replacement for WLAN technology like 802.11n, WWAN 2G, or 3G services. Rather, enterprises should plan on operating a hybrid infrastructure in both the WWAN and WLAN environments for at least the next five to seven years. Enterprise Mobility Networking Telecommunications Services Fri, 01 Aug 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Chris Silva, Lisa Pierce" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=44829&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46326&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed While industries enjoy differing rates of customer loyalty, many of the underlying qualities that drive loyalty remain consistent across industries. By understanding the key drivers of loyalty and how to interpret those drivers through an industry-focused lens, marketing leaders can do more to win and retain their best customers. Marketing & Advertising Telecommunications Services Consumer Industries Consumer Packaged Goods Consumer Technology Adoption Financial Services Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Lisa Bradner" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46326&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=45910&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Forrester asked 1,180 consumers in the United Kingdom about their interactions with a variety of companies and high-street brands, gauging the usefulness, usability, and enjoyability of those experiences. Based on these consumer responses, we calculated the Customer Experience Index for 25 companies. Play.com and Amazon.co.uk came out at the top of the list and were the only two companies with an "excellent" rating. Given the mediocre results for most firms, UK companies should put customer experience initiatives near the top of their 2009 strategic plans. Customer Experience Telecommunications Services Consumer Industries Consumer Technology Adoption eBusiness/eCommerce Energy & Utilities Financial Services Retail Mon, 28 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Craig Menzies" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=45910&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46479&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed Forrester asked nearly 5,000 US consumers about many aspects of their relationships with wireless carriers. We examined their feedback on overall customer experience and their satisfaction with Web, store, and phone interactions, along with their plans to stay loyal to their current wireless carriers. To understand the dynamics of these relationships, we analyzed the data based on the ethnicity of the respondents. Some of our findings: Hispanics get the most enjoyment from wireless carriers, Blacks gave highest marks for phone interactions, and Caucasians are the least likely to switch. Customer Experience Packaged Applications Telecommunications Services Consumer Industries Consumer Technology Adoption Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT "Bruce D. Temkin" <resourcecenter@forrester.com> http://www.forrester.com/go?docid=46479&src=RSS_TopicGroupFeed