Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR), a leading provider of research and analysis on the Internet and emerging technologies, today announced that it will expand its West Coast presence by opening a research center in San Francisco in February 2001. The company plans to add more than 30 professionals to staff the office by the end of 2001.

“Establishing our first significant US office outside of Cambridge is an exciting event for Forrester,” said George F. Colony, Forrester’s chairman of the board and chief executive officer. “The new office not only allows us to put research and client support resources on the ground in the heart of Silicon Valley, but also creates a staging area for further expansion into centers of Internet innovation and growth around the Pacific Rim.”

“Our strategy for geographic expansion in the US mirrors and complements our strategy for expansion in Europe, where Forrester is aggressively building an office network to provide local research in key markets,” said William M. Bluestein, Ph.D., Forrester’s president and chief operating officer. “Local research centers allow our analysts to interact with thought leaders on their home turf. It also lets us tap into local talent pools and fine-tune our research products to the needs of clients.”

“I believe Intuit can benefit from Forrester having a full-service West Coast office,” said Raymond Stern, Intuit’s senior vice president of corporate strategy and marketing. “This new local presence will allow us easier access to their excellent analyst staff.”

The company’s San Francisco operation will be managed by Michael E. Gazala, who has served as a group director of research for the past year. Gazala’s prior experience includes two years as a senior analyst with Forrester’s Online Financial Services team; he also worked at State Street Corporation, American Express, and Morgan Stanley. “Being on the ground in San Francisco will enable us to interact on a more personal level with the Bay-area technology and Internet commerce community,” Gazala said. “I am also looking forward to the opportunity to deliver a higher level of service to our growing base of Bay-area clients.”

The majority of the staff in the San Francisco office will be research professionals, and the rest will consist of sales and infrastructure personnel. The company has leased space at 799 Market St., and is looking at potential headcount of approximately 75 in San Francisco by the end of 2002.