Andre Kindness

Principal Analyst Serving Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

Andre serves IT Infrastructure & Operations Professionals. He is a leading expert on enterprise network operations and architecture. His research focuses on networking technology and strategy--such as software define networking and network function virtualization--for private cloud, remote locations, and hybrid cloud. In particular, he is a leading visionary in defining the network architecture and technology needed inside retail stores, hospitals, manufacturing sites, and hospitality venues. The focus of each is engaging the people involved, especially customers. He helps Forrester clients develop and improve their strategy to ensure they create a network platform for the digital business since the network connection can be a customer's first touch point to the business.

Previous Work Experience

Andre's career spans 20 years in marketing, business, and technology leadership roles. Andre worked for 10 years with networking professionals inside business and value added resellers at HP's networking division and Cisco Systems, researching and defining which features, products, and solutions were needed to solve complex business challenges. Prior to the network industry, he developed an expertise in systems engineering, designing complex rocket propulsion systems for GenCorp Aerojet, a leader in space missile and propulsion industry. His perspective on the importance of customer orientation, standardized process and procedures, continuous improvement, agile tactics, resiliency, and rapid innovation were honed during his years designing new aircraft features and models at an aircraft company.

Education

Andre graduated from the University of California, Davis, in 1994 and has Bachelor of Science degrees in mechanical engineering, material science and engineering, and aeronautical science and engineering. Additionally, he has a pending CISSP certificate from (ISC)² and has received certificates from UC Davis in network administration and management and also routing and switching technologies.

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Andre Kindness

Principal Analyst Serving Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

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Andre Kindness's Research

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For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

REPORT: The Forrester Wave™: Software-Defined WAN Services, Q4 2020

The 10 Providers That Matter Most And How They Stack Up

October 15, 2020 Abhijit Sunil, Andre Kindness

In our 30-criterion evaluation of software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) services providers, we identified the 10 most significant ones — Aryaka Networks, AT&T Business, Colt Technology Services, GTT Communications, Lumen (CenturyLink), Masergy, Orange Business Services, Tata Communications, Verizon Business, and Vodafone — and researched, analyzed, and scored them. This report shows how each provider measures up and helps infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals select the right one for their needs.
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

REPORT: Now Tech: Software-Defined WAN Services, Q3 2020

Forrester's Overview Of 20 SD-WAN Services Providers

September 25, 2020 Abhijit Sunil, Andre Kindness

You can use software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) services to unify underlay and overlay services under a single player, simplify the SD-WAN elements of your businesswide network fabric, and provide skills that are missing within your customer organization. But to realize these benefits, you'll first have to select from a diverse set of vendors that vary by size, functionality, geography, and vertical market focus. Infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals should use this report to understand the value they can expect from an SD-WAN services provider and to select one based on size and functionality.
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

REPORT: Now Tech: Software-Defined WAN Hardware/Software, Q3 2020

Forrester's Overview Of 16 SD-WAN Hardware And Software Providers

September 25, 2020Andre Kindness, Abhijit Sunil

You can use software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) hardware and software to align to your business goals, improve resiliency, and increase agility and speed. But to realize these benefits, you'll first have to select from a diverse set of vendors that vary by size, functionality, geography, and vertical market focus. Infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals should use this report to understand the strengths and weakness of each segment and then examine a group of vendors within a particular segment.
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

REPORT: The Forrester Wave™: Open, Programmable Switches For A Businesswide SDN, Q3 2020

The 12 Providers That Matter Most And How They Stack Up

July 28, 2020Andre Kindness

In our 32-criterion evaluation of open, programmable switching solutions, we identified the 12 most significant ones — Arista Networks, Cisco IOS-XE, Cisco NX-OS, Dell EMC, Extreme Networks, H3C, Huawei, Juniper Networks, NVIDIA Cumulus, NVIDIA Mellanox, Pica8, and Pluribus Networks — and researched, analyzed, and scored them. This report shows how each solution measures up and helps infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals select the right one for their needs.
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

REPORT: Evaluate SDWAN Services Based On Branch Office Goals, Not Hardware Data Sheets

Fourteen Criteria To Use For Your Next SDWAN Services RFP

July 16, 2020Andre Kindness

With wide-area network (WAN) architecture transitioning from a hub-and-spoke design to a businesswide WAN fabric, infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders have started to leverage, or have plans to leverage, some type of software-defined WAN (SDWAN) features. However, implementing SDWAN capabilities comes at a cost — many enterprise teams don't have the resources to make it a reality and have looked for outside help to augment their own resources. This report helps I&O focus on the right set of criteria to find the best SDWAN services partner to build out a businesswide WAN fabric.

For CIO Professionals

REPORT: The Top Emerging Technologies To Watch 2018

July 11, 2018 Brian Hopkins, Christian Austin, Andre Kindness, James Staten, Brandon Purcell, Nate Fleming, Frank Gillett, Jeffrey Hammond, Martha Bennett, J. P. Gownder

To outpace the competition, CIOs must keep a constant finger on the pulse of technology change. Forrester has identified 12 emerging technologies with massive disruptive potential; their impact will be seen across a range of products, services, and solutions. This report helps CIOs zero in on the technologies most worthy of their focus, strategic planning, and investment.
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

REPORT: Predictions 2018: Cloud Computing Accelerates Enterprise Transformation Everywhere

New Private Cloud Options And Even More Public Cloud And SaaS Innovations Will Power Enterprise Transformation In 2018

November 7, 2017 Dave Bartoletti, Lauren Nelson, Liz Herbert, Paul Miller, Charlie Dai, Andras Cser, Andre Kindness

After a decade of powering digital transformation in small and medium-size businesses, cloud computing has quickly become a must-have enterprise technology. Cloud's impact has been global, yet fewer than half of all enterprises use a public cloud platform. In 2018, we'll cross the significant 50% adoption milestone, and cloud applications, platforms, and services will continue to radically change the way enterprises compete for customers. This report outlines the 10 key factors that will shape the cloud computing landscape in 2018 and advises infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders on how to respond.
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

REPORT: Strategic Benchmarks 2013: IT Infrastructure

IT Complexity And Growing Business Demands Orient Infrastructure Priorities Toward Increasing Hardware And Cost Efficiency

May 8, 2013Sophia I. Vargas, Richard Fichera, Dave Bartoletti, Henry Baltazar, Andre Kindness, Rachel A. Dines

This report provides IT infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals with strategic benchmarks to compare their IT infrastructure budgets, priorities, motivations, and technology adoption to their peers. The benchmarks in this report focus on key categories of IT infrastructure: servers, server operating systems, storage, data center networking, virtualization, and data center facilities. These benchmarks represent a subset of data collected in Forrester's Forrsights Hardware Survey, Q3 2012, fielded to 2,330 hardware decision-makers. Use these benchmarks as an important input to determine if you will maintain, adjust, or rethink your strategic infrastructure plans in 2013.
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

REPORT: Cut Through The Hype To Assess Your Need For 5G-Enabled IoT Use Cases

How To Gauge The Readiness Of 5G And Its Impact On Your IoT Network Strategy

May 16, 2019 Michele Pelino, Andre Kindness

The hype around 5G is at fever pitch, with network operators and device and equipment manufacturers making near-daily announcements regarding new deployment initiatives or highlighting potential 5G benefits for vertical industries. 5G networks promise to let enterprises deploy internet of things (IoT)-enabled use cases requiring high bandwidth, ultra-low latency, and differentiated service characteristics — but infrastructure and operations (I&O) stakeholders must cut through the hype and understand that 5G networks won't be available on a wide scale for many years. This is an update to a previously published report; Forrester reviews and revises it periodically for continued relevance and accuracy.
For Infrastructure & Operations Professionals

REPORT: IoT Connectivity: Align The Wide Array Of Options With Your Requirements

An Overview Of The Low-Power Wireless Technology Choices Augmenting Today's Networks

February 26, 2020Andre Kindness, Michele Pelino

Network-connected sensors and actuators improve business operations and transform products. But internet-of-things (IoT) requirements stretch traditional enterprise wireless technologies past their breaking points. A dizzying array of low-power networking technologies have emerged over the past five years. Infrastructure and operations (I&O) professionals can navigate this new landscape using this report, which defines a taxonomy of low-power transport technologies, provides an overview of the technologies in each category, and highlights the emergence of multibusiness networks.