Despite the dot-com bust, Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR) finds that IT investments in eCommerce are alive and well. New research from Forrester estimates that eCommerce budgets will outpace the rest of IT budgets, with about three-fourths of companies maintaining or increasing their investments in eCommerce initiatives. Spending on sell-side (customer-facing) eCommerce initiatives will grow by 4.8 percent, and buy-side (supplier-facing) spending will be more in line with overall IT budgets, growing at 1.9 percent.

Forrester’s survey of 212 eCommerce decision-makers with either a sell- or buy-side technology role reveals that customer-facing initiatives will see the largest growth, with 40 percent of companies increasing their spending, while 28 percent of companies will increase their spending in supplier-facing initiatives.

Additional Key Findings

  • Spending on Web-based apps and full-time development staff will lead the charge.
  • Improving user experience — improved usability, enhanced self-service, and driving customers to use online channels — will be a key theme.
  • Security will top the list of planned technology purchases for eCommerce activities.
  • Unlike the market for IT consulting services overall, eCommerce consulting and implementation services are also expected to grow.

To learn more about this research, please read Forrester’s Business Technographics® “2004 Outlook For eCommerce Tech Spending” Data Overview.

The research mentioned in this press release is available to Forrester WholeView™ clients and can be found through www.forrester.com www.forrester.com.