Internationalization: The Vendor Escape Hatch FromThe Economic Downturn

Many software vendors are facing difficult economic times and are evaluating the potential for growth beyond their traditional home markets. Expansion into new regions, especially emerging markets, sounds like a promising direction. Others know from the beginning that a local market will not provide enough market volume for them. Forrester talked with seven vendors that have internationalized successfully, either recently or in the more distant past. We also spoke with vendors that have failed in their efforts. Based on this evidence, we provide best practices and a strategy framework applicable to any software vendor looking for international growth. We describe home-bound tech vendors' ideal launch path from their local "planet" into the international "orbit," based on their business model, vendor maturity, and the nature of their product offering.