Evaluating Your Service Provider's Packaged Intellectual Property

In today's tough economic situation, most clients are looking for ways to cut costs while at the same time deploying projects faster. In an attempt to drive faster, less expensive solutions for clients, leading service providers have started building solutions on reusable software components that will automate parts of processes — what Forrester calls "solution accelerators." Encouraged by the early success of a few small projects, buyers are keen to expand their use of these solution accelerators. However, immature provider offerings and a lack of buyer experience with packaged intellectual property (IP) delay wider adoption. To help prospective buyers, Forrester has developed 10 selection criteria that can be used for evaluating suppliers and their packaged IP solutions.