Markets evolve. And when the terminology used to describe a market no longer reflects how buyers, practitioners, and vendors describe the solutions within it, it’s time to reassess.

Bottle in the sand in the ocean.
The changing market tides have sent a message among the waves.

For almost 20 years, Forrester has led research in what we originally defined as end user experience management (EUEM), evaluating the market as early as 2007 in a report that included this bold statement that still stands true today: “The end user is the ultimate judge of IT performance.” We were among the first to formally define and evaluate the EUEM solutions market. Today, Forrester defines EUEM solutions as:

Solutions that use endpoint agents and browser plug-ins to collect quantitative and qualitative experience data to enable IT organizations to uncover and fix issues, set benchmarks, and ultimately improve the digital employee experience.

The most recent Forrester Wave™ covering EUEM solutions published in Q3 of 2024. But as we prepare for the next evaluation cycle — with the landscape evaluation kicking off soon and subsequent Wave publishing in early Q4 of this year — the tides have clearly turned.

The EUEM solutions Wave is now the digital employee experience management (DEXM) solutions Wave.

This change reflects the reality of the market.

Analyst Christy Punch holding a note that shares the news that the EUEM Solutions Wave report will change names to DEXM Solutions.
In a sea of change, the message was clear: Digital employee experience management solutions is the market terminology.

The Market Has Outgrown The Name

“EUEM” simply isn’t the language practitioners use. Technology executives, digital workplace leaders, IT operations teams, EX strategists, and vendors consistently refer to these platforms as “DEX.”

As someone who has spent more than 20 years in the digital workplace and DEX space, I can candidly say that prior to joining Forrester, EUEM was not a term I encountered in practice. DEX is the vocabulary of today’s market.

Aligning our Wave naming to DEXM solutions removes friction, improves clarity, aides in discoverability, and reinforces credibility.

AI Has Accelerated The Evolution Of DEXM Solutions

Over the past two years, AI-driven capabilities have significantly expanded what these platforms deliver.

DEXM solutions have evolved:

  • From endpoint agents to cross-journey intelligence.
  • From reactive troubleshooting to proactive remediation.
  • From IT-centric use cases to cross-functional value.
  • From experience monitoring to orchestration.
  • From real-time benchmarking to predictive performance.

What began as endpoint telemetry has become intelligent experience management at scale — embedded in digital workplace strategy and increasingly tied to business outcomes.

“End user experience management” no longer captures that scope.

What’s Next

The upcoming DEXM solutions Wave, publishing in early Q4, will reflect the expanded expectations for this market — including AI innovation, automation depth, cross-functional value, and measurable business impact.

This will be my first Forrester Wave evaluation since taking on coverage of this market, and I’m excited to engage deeply with both vendors and customers shaping the future of DEXM solutions.

The DEXM market is maturing. The expectations are rising. And the Wave is evolving to meet the moment.

Charleston Light, also known as Sullivan's Island Lighthouse, is located on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina.
Lighting the way: Forrester’s DEXM solutions Wave will reflect rising expectations and a brighter future for workplace technology.

If you are a vendor in this space and have not yet connected with me, I encourage you to reach out via Forrester’s briefing request process to introduce your DEXM solution and its value proposition.

For more DEXM insights and perspectives, follow me on LinkedIn. If you are a Forrester client and want more information on DEXM solutions and how they can be valuable in improving the digital employee experience at your organization, request a guidance session.