Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR), a leading provider of research and analysis on the Internet and emerging technologies, today announced that William M. Bluestein has been named to the newly created position of president and chief operating officer, effective immediately. Bluestein, 42, will report directly to George F. Colony, 45, who will continue as chairman and chief executive officer. As president and COO, Bluestein will directly oversee Forrester’s domestic and international operations, including its research, sales and marketing, and business development functions. Bluestein also has been elected to Forrester’s board of directors, increasing the number of directors on Forrester’s board to six.

Colony stated, “Since joining Forrester 10 years ago, Bill has been instrumental in the success of virtually every major initiative, including the launch of our Internet-focused research in 1993, the addition of Technographics® research in 1997, and the introduction of our groundbreaking eResearch™ platform last year. The promotion of Bill to president and COO will help us accelerate and expand our business. I look forward to working closely with Bill to extend our leadership in the Internet research marketplace. As part of this effort, I will be focusing my energies on shaping Forrester’s vision and strategic direction, maintaining a high level of visibility with our key constituencies, and ensuring that we leverage the skills and talents of our research analysts.”

Colony added, “Forrester closed 1999 with a stellar fourth quarter and an extremely strong December. The first two months of 2000 have seen our momentum continue to build as Dot Coms and established organizations alike turn to Forrester for our unmatched guidance on, and analysis of, their eBusiness initiatives. In particular, our leadership in analyzing business-to-business eCommerce is translating into major gains in the marketplace.”

Bluestein stated, “Demand for Forrester’s Internet research continues to skyrocket. In my new role, my goal is to ensure that we execute our plans with both speed and precision to capture the many growth opportunities in front of us. Specifically, my priorities will be directed around four primary areas. First, we see excellent potential to widen our lead as the top provider of business-to-business Internet research. Second, we will maximize the potential of our Bit Products, Forrester’s newest family of online research offerings, which will extend our influence to a much broader, more global customer base. Third, we will strive to increase our strong market positions in key international markets such as the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and the Far East. Finally, Forrester will continue to focus on expanding our client base by launching new marketing programs, enhancing our events business, building new sales channels, and capitalizing on our own direct selling efforts.”

Bluestein’s career at Forrester began in 1990 as an analyst in Forrester’s Computing Strategies research service. Since then, he has held a number of senior research and executive positions, playing a critical role in establishing Forrester’s position as the foremost authority on the Internet economy. In addition to directing the rollout of Forrester’s eCommerce research in 1994 and the launch of Consumers & Technographics in 1997, Bluestein’s accomplishments include overseeing the November 1999 acquisition of UK-based Fletcher Research. Prior to joining Forrester, Bluestein was senior editor at Cahners Publishing, and before that, a market research analyst at Honeywell.

Bluestein earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.