Where In The World?

Many technology vendors are going global, seeking new markets to make up for the maturation of traditional ones. And rightly so; our Forrsights Budgets And Priorities Tracker Survey, Q2 2010, found that more than twice as many IT decision-makers in emerging markets, compared with more mature markets, thought that 2010 would be a good year for their industry. And that optimism has translated into IT budgets; higher percentages of emerging-market IT decision-makers expect to increase their IT spending relative to their peers in the UK and US. But market expansion is not necessarily right for all vendors, and, even when it is, identifying the specific opportunities is not straightforward. With their size and economic growth, Brazil, Russia, India and China — the BRIC countries — often top vendors' target lists. But market characteristics, local catalysts, and local business concerns and priorities that drive technology adoption make the calculation more complex. Deciding that geographic expansion is the right strategy comes first, then using a transparent and structured market opportunity assessment helps to identify and prioritize potential target markets.