predictions
Forrester’s predictions help business leaders see what’s coming and what’s most critical for business success. Read on to explore market-defining trends in emerging technology, consumer behavior, B2B sales, customer experience, and much more.
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Predictions 2026: AI Agents, Changing Business Models, And Workplace Culture Impact Enterprise Software
In 2026, enterprise applications will move beyond the traditional role of enabling employees with digital tools to accommodating a digital workforce of AI agents. Tech leaders will be forced to decide how far to go in digitizing business processes and orchestrating workflows independent of human workers.
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Predictions 2026: Software Development Goes From Jamming To A Full Orchestra
If software development was music, generative AI would be rewriting the score. Learn how the tune will shift in the coming year.
Predictions 2026: Your Planning Starts Here
2026 will demand proof, not promises. Explore Forrester’s Predictions resources — guides, webinars, and blogs — to plan smarter, lead with trust, and stay ahead of disruption.
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Predictions 2026: Consumers Find Connection In Unexpected Places
In 2026, consumers will crave connection beyond the traditional sources. In the year ahead, they will seek out offline connections while making synthetic friends. Find out more in our 2026 predictions for consumers.
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Predictions 2026: The Year AI Tests The Heart Of Healthcare
In 2025, the healthcare industry experienced significant shake-ups, including the fracturing of vaccine policy and rapid innovations in digital health, all against a backdrop of eroding trust and customer experience. In 2026, we see persistent headwinds in the form of volatile policy changes, deteriorating access to care, and unchecked AI risks. Find out more in our 2026 healthcare predictions.
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Predictions 2026: Significant Shifts In CX, AI, And Microinsurance Across The Insurance Landscape
The global insurance industry is heading into a transformative year in 2026, with seismic shifts driven by the rise of AI, the urgency of customer experience, and expansion into uncharted markets. Though the challenges are steep, the opportunities are immense if insurers act boldly and strategically.
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Predictions 2026: How Financial Services Can Thrive Amid AI Disruption
For financial institutions, lingering trust concerns, regulatory constraints, and the relentless pace of innovation loom large. The question isn’t whether to adapt — it’s how fast and how boldly they can pivot to thrive in a zero-click, machine-driven future.
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Predictions 2026: Retail’s Flight To Profitability
The retail landscape is entering a period of profound transformation, where profitability will no longer be optional but instead essential for survival. The combination of persistent high interest rates and technological disruption will create a challenging environment across all retail sectors — from low-margin categories such as grocery to high-margin ones like apparel.
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Predictions 2026: The “Agentic Commerce” Race — And Some Potential Regrets — In Digital Commerce
Digital leaders get a sneak peek into what's coming in the year ahead by reading three of our predictions for digital commerce in 2026.
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Predictions 2026: Trust Gets Tested For B2B Marketing, Sales, And Product Leaders
AI adoption, changing buying dynamics, and persistent volatility are rewriting go-to-market playbooks. Learn what B2B leaders and teams must do to navigate the year ahead.
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Predictions 2026: The Race To Trust And Value
Volatility and innovation will continue as leaders yearn for clarity and race to differentiate on trust and genuine value. Find out what’s in store for the year ahead.
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Predictions 2026: APAC Leaders Choose Pragmatism Over Hype In The Age Of AI
Rather than being driven by hype cycles or geopolitical rhetoric, business and technology leaders in the Asia Pacific region in 2026 will focus on pragmatic strategies in response to the region’s complex economic, regulatory, and cultural landscape. Find out more in our 2026 predictions for APAC.
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Predictions 2026: CX Teams Look To Escape The Orbit Of Dysfunction
Many CX teams are drifting dangerously close to the event horizon of metric obsession — a gravitational pull toward dashboards and KPIs that threatens to consume purpose and impact. 2026 will mark a critical decision point.
APAC B2C & CX Leaders: Unlock 2026 Predictions For AI, Trust, And More
AI hype is fading. Consumer trust is shifting. Join us live on January 22 as Forrester analysts reveal 2026 predictions for APAC—and why trust and transparency will be key to winning loyalty.
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Predictions 2026: Tech Nationalism Will Reshape Public-Sector AI, Security, And Procurement
Governments chasing digital self‑sufficiency will accelerate tech nationalism through their decisions in these three key areas. Learn what else public-sector leaders and partners should expect in the year ahead.
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Predictions 2026: CMOs Hunker Down But Don’t Retreat
B2C CMOs will be put to the test in a coming year that will be even more volatile than the current one. Adaptability and precision will be critical to success.
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Predictions 2026: AI Moves From Hype To Hard Hat Work
In 2026, AI will trade its tiara for a hard hat as enterprises prioritize AI function over flair. This year’s AI predictions emphasize the importance of investing in areas such as training and governance while evaluating the ROI of AI more closely.
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Predictions 2026: Tech Leadership Will Be Wild — Bring Your Surfboard, Your Calculator, And Maybe A Clone
Technology leaders are about to face a year that’s part roller coaster, part chess match, and part improv comedy. Get a jump on planning with our 2026 predictions for tech leaders.
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Predictions 2026: Marketing Agencies Resign Their Agency
By the end of the coming year, marketing agencies will have materially changed. For CMOs, agencies will no longer act solely as your agents but also as owners of solutions, resellers of technology partnerships, and developers of emerging capabilities.
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How Accurate Were Our Predictions For 2025?
Predictions season is here, and our research teams have been hard at work formulating and fine-tuning their calls for 2026. But before we release our 2026 predictions, here’s a review of some of the “hits” and “misses” from our 2025 predictions.
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Predictions 2026: Environmental Sustainability Enters An Era Of Authenticity
Environmental sustainability is entering a new era: Performative messaging is out, and authenticity is in. Find out what this means in Forrester’s 2026 predictions for environmental sustainability.
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