Forrester Research, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORR) today announced that the GigaWorld IT Forum Europe 2005, which concluded yesterday in Prague, attracted more than 650 attendees ¿ the largest number in the Event¿s eight-year history, and a significant increase over last year. IT and business executives received advice and direction on key topics ranging from effective IT sourcing strategies and integrated IT management to leveraging innovation to exceed customer needs.

In addition to more than 90 general sessions offered over three days, attendees participated in nearly 700 one-on-one meetings with the 40 analysts on site, as well as in Executive Exchanges, small-group roundtable discussions moderated by a Forrester analyst. The Event also enabled members of the Forrester Oval Program¿ to network with their peers and attend exclusive sessions for Oval¿s CIO Group, Analyst Relations, and three IT Councils in Europe.

¿Understanding and managing the impact of technology change on business is as important as ever,¿ said Robert Davidson, President of Forrester Research EMEA. ¿External speakers, meetings with Forrester analysts, and peer networking opportunities gave GigaWorld attendees in Prague a perspective combining visionary and practical research with guidance to address their business technology issues and needs.¿

GigaWorld also offered participants the opportunity to exchange experiences and information about the realities of doing business in and with the newly joined EU countries. More than a quarter of delegates hailed from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) ¿ only the UK had greater representation at the Event. France, the Nordics, Southern Europe, and Benelux had the largest representation after the UK and CEE.

Attendees heard real-world examples of business technology change from the following keynote speakers:

  • Brian Jones, Global CIO, Allied Domecq
  • Karyn Mashima, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Technology, Avaya
  • John Varney, CTO, the BBC
  • Dr. Michael Gorriz, Vice President, IT Business Systems, DaimlerChrysler
  • Jean-Philippe Vanot, Executive Vice President, Networks, Carriers and IT, France Télécom
  • Geoff Smith, former Deputy CIO, Procter & Gamble
  • Simon Phipps, Chief Open Source Officer, Sun Microsystems
  • Gareth Lewis, Group CIO, Virgin

Press Roundtable: ¿Offshore Outsourcing Is Yesterday¿s Story ¿
Start Thinking About Global Delivery¿
Forrester analysts and executives, along with industry representatives, spoke to a gathering of business and technology press from Western and Central Europe about the evolution from offshore outsourcing to a low-cost global service delivery model (GDM).* They discussed how the business models of formerly distinct large international service providers and Indian offshore pure plays are effectively converging ¿ and why we have to start thinking in terms of global delivery rather than simple one-stop offshore outsourcing.

The speakers examined why selecting the right geography is now a prerequisite for success ¿ for although the offshore phenomenon is still commonly associated with India, companies are being offered an ever-increasing choice of potential offshore/nearshore locations, including Eastern Europe and Russia.

The roundtable further addressed the concept of ¿Innovation Networks¿* and how this will leverage offshore resources for business innovation by allowing companies to tap into new pools of talent and open up new markets for their goods.

Next Year¿s GigaWorld IT Forum Europe
In 2006, Forrester¿s GigaWorld IT Forum Europe will take place from June 12 to 14 in Lisbon, Portugal. For information on this event, tune into www.forrester.com/events.