Monday, May 17: I'm on my way to SAP's SapphireNow to figure out where the world's largest enterprise vendor is taking its customers after buying Sybase. Is SAP's future mobile apps? Newfangled "in-memory" architectures? Cloud-based apps? Or is SAP just grabbing a database to compete with Oracle's?

I know you've got questions too about the future of enterprise applications — and not just about SAP's direction. I've had many discussions with individual Forrester clients about the future of applications over the years, but never with everyone. Now, OutSystems and I have come up with a new use of social media to open the doors on a worldwide Q&A on the future of applications.  Visit What's the Future of Applications? Ask Rymer for details.

We call it "social consulting."  Here is how it works: 

1. During the next week, visit the "Ask Rymer" site and post your biggest, baddest questions about the future of applications. We've got to account for change agents ranging from the Apple iPad to Smart Computing approaches to cloud computing to Lean Software to understand the future of applications. And we've got to continue our progress toward software that is designed for people and built for continuous change.

2. Next week, we'll pick out about 10 contributions that help me really get at the big question. I'll answer those questions in short videos, bringing the best evidence I've got to support my positions. We'll post my video answers to the "Ask Rymer" site.

3. And then we continue the discussion! I love this forum because it opens the debate to an audience equal to this huge question. We need perspectives not only from North America and Western Europe, but other parts of the world as well. We need to consider both traditional application vendors (like Oracle and SAP) and innovators. We need to understand how consumer and business products are converging.

I hope you'll join the fun. I expect us to learn not only what's next in enterprise applications but also how we can create a better future for ourselves and our clients.