Customer-Focused Innovation Networks Emerge

With the rise of a new global IT ecosystem that places a huge premium on partnerships, tech vendors are rushing to form Innovation Networks — multiplying R&D and go-to-market alliances with academics, startups, venture capital firms, developer communities, and other IT purveyors worldwide. Yet, vendors are struggling to effectively engage their enterprise customers in their burgeoning ecosystems and to actively co-create innovation value with them. The solution? A new client-centric business model that Forrester calls customer-focused Innovation Networks (CFINs). CFINs let corporate clients' input and active participation shape and optimize the collaborative innovation activities that take place within global IT ecosystems. To bolster client engagement, tech vendors should classify their CFIN initiatives based on the level of impact on clients' business performance and must better articulate their CFIN business value to targeted client stakeholders. Winners among IT providers will continually recalibrate a dynamic portfolio of CFIN projects.