technical debt

Technical debt is a concept that originated in software development, where it refers to the cost incurred by putting off upgrades or modernization (i.e., technical obsolescence). Today is is also be applied to other technology areas such as hardware, security and compliance, infrastructure, skills, measurement, and suppliers. Technical debt can lead to poor customer experience, loss of business opportunities, unsustainable cost structures, and less resilient and secure systems.

Discover how Forrester supports IT leaders. 

Insights

Blog

Steer Between Debt And Delay With Platform Engineering

Charles Betz 2 days ago
Modern digital and IT professionals encounter a similar dilemma: Technical debt and sprawl make IT portfolios insecure and unsustainable, but processes and controls intended to minimize debt and sprawl are themselves too often value-destroying. Are platforms the solution to this challenge?
Podcast

Mainframe Myth Busting

What It Means April 11, 2024
If you think mainframes are dying or dead, this is the podcast episode for you. Senior Analyst Brent Ellis shares new data and insights on the current state and future of mainframes.

Stop Runaway Tech Debt With Our Essential Toolkit

Unmanaged tech debt piles up fast. Tackle it head on with our tech debt toolkit, featuring seven management strategies, a red-flag checklist, and a framework for success.

Blog

Here’s How To Get Your S/4HANA Migration Plans Under Control

Dario Maisto February 26, 2024
No matter what stage you’re at with your SAP S/4HANA migration planning, take these five steps now to help mitigate some risks.
Blog

Tech Stack Optimization Is Now A Strategic Priority

Linda Ivy-Rosser February 20, 2024
Learn how Forrester’s outcome-based technology optimization model creates an approach that offers advantages to delivering business aligned value and enabling growth.
Blog

Call For Entries: Forrester Technology Awards, 2024

Frederic Giron February 5, 2024
We’re now accepting nominations for our Technology Strategy Impact and Enterprise Architecture Awards across the NA, EMEA, and APAC regions. Learn more about the awards and how to apply in this post.
Webinar

New Tools And Strategies For Managing Technical Debt

Watch this on-demand webinar to explore new tools and strategies for keeping technical debt under control, including a demonstration of Forrester’s Technical Debt Modernization And Migration Scenario Tool.
Blog

The Low-Code Market Could Approach $50 Billion By 2028

John Bratincevic January 29, 2024
According to a recent survey, 87% of enterprise developers use low-code development platforms for at least some of their work. Find out what’s driving the growth in the low-code market in this preview of a new report and forecast.

Honor Your Tech Excellence With The Prestige Of A 2024 Forrester Award

We’re accepting nominations for our global 2024 Technology Strategy Impact and Enterprise Architecture Awards. Deadlines are approaching. Check out our award requirements and submit your nomination today.

Blog

AWS’s Silent Nod To FinOps

Tracy Woo December 12, 2023
Last week, Amazon.com VP and CTO Werner Vogels closed out re:Invent 2023 with his keynote address on the “frugal architect.” This isn’t the first time that Vogels has introduced this topic. In fact, it was a theme he originally introduced in 2012 that revolves around architecting with cost in mind. To me, and likely to […]
Podcast

Predictions 2024: How Tech Leaders Will Tackle Growth, Talent, And AI

What It Means November 16, 2023
What’s in store for tech leaders in the year ahead? Find out as Vice Presidents and Senior Research Directors Matthew Guarini and Fred Giron discuss Forrester’s 2024 predictions for technology leaders.
Blog

Embarking On New Research: From Technical Architects To MTO, Platforms, EAM, And Technical Debt

Alvin Nguyen October 26, 2023
I am happy to announce that I have completed my series of reports about the technical architect, including the expectations for this role, how to help technical architects succeed, and the trends that impact them: Evolve Your Technical Architects For Modern IT First 90 Days: Technical Architect Role Profile: Technical Architect Although the initial research […]
Blog

Forrester’s 2023 Enterprise Architecture Awards Winner And Finalists For APAC

Sam Higgins September 20, 2023
Learn how our APAC Enterprise Architecture Award winner and finalists use outcome-driven enterprise architecture for business success.
Blog

Counting Down To Forrester’s Technology & Innovation APAC Event For 2023

Sam Higgins September 11, 2023
Technology Alignment: The Key To Powering Customer-Obsessed Growth You’ve likely suspected it and maybe have even said it out loud: Aligning technology with customer objectives can ignite significant growth. The data backs this up decisively. Forrester’s most recent study of business and technology leaders shows that companies with high alignment between technology and customer-facing roles […]

Revolutionize How You Tame & Tackle Tech Debt

Want to stop runaway tech debt? Watch our webinar to see an analyst demo of Forrester’s game-changing Technical Debt Modernization And Migration Scenario Tool. Discover how to shape modernization to fit your organizational needs.

Blog

Restricted Source Licensing Is Here

Naveen Chhabra September 7, 2023
Open source has taken the enterprise by storm. What was once seen as risky code, developed in suburban basements, has taken on new life. Major software companies employ teams of full-time workers to write and contribute code to open source projects. Even end user companies such as Netflix, Lyft, Capital One, etc., are contributing back […]
Blog

Forrester’s Impressions: VMware Explore 2023

Naveen Chhabra September 6, 2023
In recent years, VMware has faced major headwinds: It migrated its clients from on-premises to public cloud, changed to a cloud-native application development paradigm, shifted to subscription licensing, had frequent cycles of M&A activities, and experienced unfavorable macroeconomic environments. Despite these, VMware registered modest revenue growth. Even though it grew, it knows it is vulnerable. […]
Blog

Forrester’s 2023 Enterprise Architecture Awards Winner And Finalist For EMEA

Laura Koetzle August 22, 2023
Learn how our EMEA Enterprise Architecture Award winner and finalist use outcome-driven enterprise architecture for business success.
Blog

How Ineffective Sourcing Strategies Affect Your Tech Debt Index

Akshara Naik Lopez August 11, 2023
Struggling to manage tech debt? Learn three key considerations in this preview of our upcoming Technology & Innovation North America event.
Podcast

Unique Solutions To Reduce Technical Debt

What It Means August 10, 2023
In this preview of the upcoming Technology & Innovation North America event, five analysts provide their perspectives on how to reduce or avoid technical debt.
Blog

SAP To Raise On-Premise Annual Support Fees An Average Of 5% Effective January 2024

Akshara Naik Lopez August 9, 2023
Continuing the latest trend in price increases by major enterprise software vendors, SAP announced on July 26, 2023, that it will increase the annual support fees for SAP support agreements by roughly 5.0% (by local CPI rates, capped to 5%). This is on top of the previous increase announced in 2022 for an average support […]
Blog

Get Creative About Resilience: Join Me For My Keynote At T&I NA 2023

Lauren Nelson July 27, 2023
Get definitions and examples of creative business resilience in this preview of the upcoming Technology & Innovation North America event.
Blog

One Destination, Many Paths: The Content Engagement Solutions Landscape

Phyllis Davidson July 24, 2023
B2B marketers spend ample time seeking better ways to engage their audiences, convert them to buyers, and retain them as customers. While content is central to engagement, audience expectations for contextually relevant, personalized content know no limits. To get content right, technology is key, but there are many paths to the ideal content destination. In […]
More posts