Forrester

Analysts wake up to open source

For years, the analyst community has largely ignored open source or, worse, has actively advised against it. While there are exceptions--Forrester, The 451 Group, Redmonk--the general mood in the analyst community seems to be one of steadfast denial of open-source's impact on computing.

Ignoring open source is a bit like denying gravity, however, and even open-source agnostics like IDC and Gartner are now stating the obvious:

Open source is having a massive impact on enterprise computing, and it's becoming big business.

IDC, for example, significantly revised upward its estimate of the market size for open-source solutions, now projecting … Read more

Open-source cost savings: The video (director's cut)

Open source delivers significant cost savings, and the market is taking notice: IDC has significantly revised upwards its estimates of global revenue from open-source software. IDC now expects worldwide open-source revenue to grow at a 22.4 percent compound annual growth rate to top $8.1 billion by 2013.

That's a lot of money for free stuff.

The reasons, as I wrote on Wednesday, are clear: open source delivers increased flexibility, improved performance, vendor independence, and, yes, cost savings. According to Computerworld UK, London Paper reports saving 66 percent by using an open-source CMS (Drupal). The Gap, meanwhile, dumped Windows for Red Hat offerings … Read more

Beyond the hype: Where open source actually saves you money

Talk to any open-source vendor (myself included), and we'll tell you that there's a lot of money to be saved by dropping your proprietary software in favor of open-source alternatives. But is that always the case? And, if so, what are the necessary preconditions for saving money?

I chaired a panel at OSCON 2009 where we explored this topic, with some interesting results.

Jeffrey Hammond, a senior analyst with Forrester, provided the underlying data, but Matt Deuel (Virgin Mobile) and Barry Klawans (San Francisco International Airport, IT&T Department) offered real-world experience deploying open-source software, while Zack … Read more

Overall time spent online remains static

The amount of time people spend online has not increased since last year, according to a report released by Forrester on Monday. Perhaps more interesting, however, is the reason for the trend: people's online behavior has changed.

"Engagement with the online channel has deepened," writes Forrester analyst Jackie Anderson. "Web users are becoming savvier and are better multi-taskers. Many know exactly where they want to go when they log in."

The report, titled "Consumer Behavior Online: A 2009 Deep Dive," shows that overall time spent on the Internet has remained at 12 hours … Read more

Forrester: 2.2 billion people online globally by 2013

This was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines.

Forrester Research on Tuesday projected that the Internet population will hit 2.2 billion people by 2013. Of that tally, 43 percent of the Internet population will be in Asia.

In a report, Forrester paints a picture of Internet growth in emerging markets and stagnation in the developing world.

Among the key findings:

• 17 percent of the online population will reside in China. • Growth rates in the U.S., Western Europe and other industrialized nations will be between 1 percent and 3 percent. • Online penetration in the U.S. will … Read more

IT budgets: Shifting by the week?

This was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines.

The technology earnings season kicks off in earnest on Tuesday when Intel reports its second-quarter results, but the outlook for the sector may sound like a broken record: visibility is low, and IT budgets fluctuate with everything from CEO mood swings to the stock market.

A handful of companies--Dell, Infosys, Red Hat, Oracle, and Lawson--have already riffed on technology budgets amid a volatile economic picture. The common thread: IT budgets are just as jumpy as your friendly neighborhood stock, but there are signs of stabilization.

Goldman Sachs expects an 8 … Read more

Open source rising as the economy continues to fall

The market is clearly racing toward a bottom when we start looking to Monty Python for business advice and the most lucid (if profane) analysis of Google's announced open-source operating system, Chrome OS, comes from Fake Steve Jobs.

However fast we may be "racing," however, we're not there yet.

At least, not according to a survey of 200 IT executives by Computer Economics, which finds:

About 49 percent of the IT executives surveyed plan to make further budget cuts in 2009. Almost 50 percent will spend less than what is allocated in their IT operational budget. … Read more

Online banking is booming

Once a niche market, online banking has grown into a widely-used tool for the average consumer.

Among 3,988 adults surveyed in the U.S. by Gartner Group, 47 percent said they now bank online. In the U.K, 30 percent echoed the same response.

Results varied according to income. Gartner found that over half of all consumers earning more than $30,000 in the U.S. and 15,000 pounds in the U.K. bank on the Internet. Among lower-income households, 25 percent in America and 17 percent in the U.K. use online banking.

"Over the past … Read more

Report: Rivals can exploit Kindle shortcomings

Companies are likely to challenge the Amazon Kindle by unveiling cheaper, more versatile e-readers, moving beyond books, and striking better deals with publishers, according to a report released Monday by Forrester Research.

"Amazon.com, leveraging its position as a dominant book retailer, has catalyzed the market for eBooks, but that's just the beginning of the eReader revolution," writes Forrester media and technology analyst Sarah Rotman Epps in the report. "Competitors will attack Amazon's market position by launching new features, expanding content beyond books, dominating markets outside the U.S., reducing costs, and improving relationships with … Read more