All of us in the technology industry get caught up in the near-term fluctuations and pressures of our business. This quarter’s earnings, next quarter’s shipments, this year’s hiring plan . . . it’s easy to get swallowed up by the flood of immediate concerns. So one of the things that we work hard on at Forrester, and that our clients value in their relationships with us, is taking a few steps back and looking at the longer-term, bigger picture of the size and shape of the industry’s trajectory. It provides strategic and financial context for the short-term fluctuations and trends that buffet all of us.

I am lucky to co-lead research in Forrester's Vendor Strategy team, which is explicitly chartered to predict and quantify the new growth opportunities and disruptions facing strategists at some of our leading clients. We will put those predictions on display later this month at Forrester's IT Forum, our flagship client event. Among the sessions that Vendor Strategy analysts will be leading:

  • "The Software Industry in Transition": Holger Kisker will preview his latest research detailing best practices for software vendors navigating the tricky transition from traditional license to as-a-service pricing and engagement models.
  • "The Computing Technologies of 2016": Frank Gillett will put us in a time machine for a trip five years into the future of computing, storage, network, and component technologies that will underpin new applications, new experiences, and new computing capabilities.
  • "How Smart Is the ICT Industry?": Andy Bartels will offer a report card on Smart Computing, the technologies and applications that are driving the fourth wave of industry growth and innovation.
  • "The App Internet": John McCarthy will extend his recent research on how app development and distribution is changing the environment for software and services vendors.
  • "Sizing the Cloud": Stefan Ried and Holger Kisker will detail their comprehensive forecast of cloud computing and services market growth.

IT Forum is the best place to engage with Forrester analysts and our research agenda, along with 1,000 of our closest friends, colleagues, and clients! Hope to see you there.