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            "post_id": 302862,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/beyond-the-saaspocalypse-introducing-the-forrester-ai-disruption-model\/",
            "title": "Beyond The \u201cSaaSpocalypse\u201d: Introducing The Forrester AI Disruption Model",
            "date": "Aug 19, 2026 04:15:37",
            "excerpt": "The 2026 narrative surrounding the \u201cSaaSpocalypse\u201d misses the bigger picture. While most commentary fixates on seat-based revenue compression (predicting that AI agents will kill off software licenses), that\u2019s only one of nine critical disruption factors. As a global research firm that evaluates the entire technology landscape, Forrester has created a data-driven AI Disruption Model. This […]",
            "body": "<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The 2026 narrative surrounding the \u201cSaaSpocalypse\u201d misses the bigger picture. While most commentary fixates on seat-based revenue compression (predicting that AI agents will kill off software licenses), that\u2019s only one of nine critical disruption factors. As a global research firm that evaluates the entire technology landscape, Forrester has created a data-driven <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">AI Disruption Model<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. This model, built on Forrester research and publicly filed information, cuts through the noise to bring transparency to market changes and a comprehensive framework for what comes next.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Design Of The Forrester AI Disruption Model<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Forrester AI Disruption Model evaluates 17 technology and service categories spanning more than 200 markets. The framework analyzes structural market dynamics across nine critical drivers, including AI substitutability, labor intensity, commercial model, support for agentic workloads, switching costs, and regulatory friction. The central insight from the model is clear: AI\u2019s effects won\u2019t be distributed evenly. While some markets and vendors face extreme headwinds, others are poised for historic acceleration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/content-service\/api\/v1\/content\/public\/image\/cms\/public\/images\/5FK2x0xn7wKz5Iv3hrx4fV\/e0eed50d45c14fd72dc1e63d0d687366\/Figure_2.PNG?w=1024\" alt=\"This figure shows the AI disruption model results for 17 technology and service categories. The technology and service categories include: application development and software, technology services, growth and transformation services, operational and transactional support, commerce and marketplace solutions, marketing data and measurement, analytics and business intelligence, business applications, and infrastructure. This graphic has an associated spreadsheet that includes all data presented. Please access the spreadsheet for details.\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">We break down <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">markets<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">into<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\"> four <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">categories: <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">d<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">isrupted, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">n<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">eutral, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">c<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">ontested<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">, and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW57558137 BCX8\">ccelerated:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">Disrupted <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">m<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\"><strong>arkets<\/strong> <\/span><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">\u2014<\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">where AI reproduces core value<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">.<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">I<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">f<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\"> AI can do <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">something that a <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">person or an existing software product<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">can do<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">it<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">will<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW227217670 BCX8\">.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">Vendors and service providers<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">in this bucket face pricing compression, seat erosion, and commoditization of their core capabilities or feature <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">set<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">The most severe disruption <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">stemming from AI <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">hits <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">labor-intensive<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">markets,<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">such <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">as<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\"> t<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">echnology implementation, custom software development, creative services, and corporate training<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">These markets<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">are under immense pressure as <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">AI <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">takes<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\"> over activities previously performed by human experts.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Neutral markets\u202f<span class=\"TextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">\u2014<\/span><\/strong><\/span> where value\u202fisn\u2019t\u202fprimarily informational.<\/span><\/b> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">If vendors and service providers offer capabilities that are physical, focused on regulated markets, or protected by high switching costs, they\u2019re less disrupted by the shift to AI. Neutral drivers keep AI progression at bay and value stable.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Contested markets\u202f<span class=\"TextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">\u2014<\/span><\/strong><\/span> positioned to move toward accelerated territory.<\/span><\/b> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">Contested vendors and service providers see a balance of neutral and accelerated drivers that allow a pivot toward accelerated territory. They won\u2019t sit back and wait to be disrupted but will shift investment capital and R&amp;D to agentic workload and data, trust, and sovereignty support. Vendors in this category can infuse AI positively into their platforms but face execution, capital, and labor pivot challenges.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">Accelerat<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">ed <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">m<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">arkets <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">\u2014<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">ell <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">p<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">icks <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">nd <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">hovels <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">f<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">or <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">AI <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">w<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">orkloads<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">.<\/span><\/strong> <\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">Providers <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">of <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">infrastructure, data, model, integration, or trust capabilities are the foundation of agentic workflows<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\"> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW227217670 BCX8\">\u2014<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">and<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">the future <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">anchors of <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">AI-powered <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">business<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\"> Demand for these <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">offerings <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">scales<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\"> directly with AI adoption<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">: <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">The more <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">custom <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">AI <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">agents <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">and <\/span><\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW110442055 BCX8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/the-great-ai-agent-rationalization-the-tortoise-the-hare-and-the-sloth\/RES196527\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW110442055 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">targeted agentic systems<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW110442055 BCX8\">enterprises deploy, the more technology these providers sell.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW35993465 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW35993465 BCX8\">The <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW35993465 BCX8\">Forrester AI <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW35993465 BCX8\">Disruption<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW35993465 BCX8\"> Model Helps You <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW35993465 BCX8\">Navigat<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW35993465 BCX8\">e<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW35993465 BCX8\">The<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW35993465 BCX8\">AI Overhaul<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW227217670 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559685&quot;:720}\"> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">The challenge for enterprise tech buyers, vendors, and service<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\"> firms alike is understanding <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">how AI reshapes <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">market<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">. <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">Whether you\u2019re a buyer trying to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">optimize<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\"> your <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">tech <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">portfolio <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">or a vendor <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">defend<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">ing<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\"> your market share<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">future<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">, the Forrester AI Disruption Model provides <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">a<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">blueprint<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\"> to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">understand <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\">this<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW129183259 BCX8\"> shift.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">E<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">nterprise tech <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">buyers<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">should use the<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">model<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">as a procurement shield<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">isolating obsolete, debt-ridden tools <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">to <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">funnel<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\"> investment <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">toward scalable, agentic-ready <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">vendors<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">. For technology vendors and service providers, <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">the model <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\">offers<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW26204101 BCX8\"> an actionable defensibility roadmap to evaluate exposure, protect core revenue, and pivot toward long-term growth before legacy models run out of steam.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">A<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">udit your tech stack and build an AI strategy<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\"> today<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">For<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">market category <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">breakdown<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">, clients can access <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">our<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">full reports:<\/span> <\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW252580599 BCX8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/the-forrester-ai-disruption-model-how-ai-disrupts-or-accelerates-technology-and-service-markets\/RES200243\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW252580599 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">The Forrester AI Disrupti<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">o<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">n Model: How AI Disrupts Or Accelerates Technology And Service Markets<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">and<\/span> <\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW252580599 BCX8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/the-forrester-ai-disruption-model-category-analysis\/RES200210\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW252580599 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">The Forrester AI Disruption Model: Category Analysis<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">.<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">To dive deeper into<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">individual markets, clients can <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">also <\/span><\/span><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW252580599 BCX8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/inquiry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW252580599 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">schedule inquiries and guidance sessions<\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252580599 BCX8\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 2242,
                    "name": "Age of the Customer",
                    "slug": "age-of-the-customer",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/age-of-the-customer\/"
                }
            ],
            "author": "Craig Le Clair",
            "coauthors": "Ted Schadler"
        },
        {
            "post_type": "post",
            "post_id": 302828,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/your-ai-strategy-already-made-a-risk-decision-have-you\/",
            "title": "Your AI Strategy Already Made A Risk Decision. Have You?",
            "date": "Aug 18, 2026 18:05:48",
            "excerpt": "How do you know when an AI use case is too risky to pursue? The answer has less to do with the technology itself and more to do with whether your organization has the governance, processes, and decision-making discipline needed to support it.",
            "body": "<p>Most marketing leaders I speak with are under intense pressure to drive adoption and prove the value of AI. Boards want an AI story for investors. Executives want measurable impact they can share with the board and their peers. Competitors seem to be accelerating their AI pace every quarter. The result is predictable: Organizations quickly exhaust potential AI cost-savings use cases and gravitate toward increasingly ambitious ones in search of bigger business outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>What many leaders are failing to recognize, though, is that risk grows when AI ambitions exceed organizational readiness.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Mounting Pressure To Drive Stronger AI Outcomes Will Elevate Risks<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>With pressure growing, not abating, I\u2019m seeing that marketing leaders aren\u2019t asking whether their organization is prepared to support the consequences of the use cases they want to pursue. As they move AI adoption into customer-facing experiences, revenue-affecting decisions, and strategic processes where outputs are hard to unwind, the consequences of failure increase significantly. The real issue isn\u2019t whether the use case can be built. It\u2019s whether we have the knowledge, data, governance, workflows, measurement, and accountability mechanisms matured enough to support it without substantially increasing business risk.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>AI Success Begins With A Risk Decision, But Most Leaders Never Realize They Made One<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Most leaders, if asked directly, would say pursuing customer-facing, revenue-affecting, and strategically consequential AI use cases that are hard to unwind is risky without the necessary capabilities in place to support them. But the pressure to drive and prove AI value is pushing marketing leaders toward bigger ambitions, despite the foundations underneath those ambitions being immature.<\/p>\n<p>In most marketing organizations I have seen, critical knowledge is fragmented, workflows are insufficiently documented, governance is a patchwork of policies and manual checks, and measurement often lacks the rigor to support business-consequential decisions. Yet these same organizations are actively pursuing ambitious AI use cases despite not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/b2b-marketing-is-moving-faster-than-its-foundations-can-handle\/\">building them on a solid foundation<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The higher the consequence of the use case, the stronger the foundation needed beneath it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><strong>The Clearest Warning Sign Is Your Answer To \u201cHow Are Decisions Made?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Can you explain how an important decision should be made by a human today? If your answer is \u201cI\u2019m not sure\u201d or \u201cit depends,\u201d then automating or augmenting that decision with AI is likely a risky bet. And this also illustrates how risk compounds, because most decisions aren\u2019t just one decision but a connected sequence of multiple decisions.<\/p>\n<p>To be clear, I\u2019m not saying adopting AI for high-business-impact, customer-facing use cases is inherently dangerous. What I\u2019m saying is that risk emerges when the criticality of a use case exceeds the organization\u2019s ability to support it. And that support requires shared knowledge, well-documented and consistently followed workflows, defined accountability, continuous governance, and effective measurement. Without this, organizations will see an ever-increasing gap between ambition and readiness, creating a growing risk gap.<\/p>\n<p>Before pursuing your next AI success story, ask this pointed question: Are my AI ambitions ahead of my organization\u2019s ability to support them? If the answer is \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m not sure,\u201d make your priority not a bigger use case but ensuring that you have a stronger foundation first.<\/p>\n<p>Forrester clients can reach out to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/inquiry\">schedule a guidance session<\/a> with me to further explore what makes a strong foundation for high-impact AI use cases.<\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 2352,
                    "name": "AI Insights",
                    "slug": "artificial-intelligence-ai",
                    "description": "<p class=\"text-body font-regular leading-[24px] pt-[9px] pb-[2px]\">The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how organizations operate, offering unprecedented opportunities to boost efficiency and drive innovation. Yet, alongside this immense potential comes a layer of complexity that requires deliberate strategy. AI is doing more than just enhancing systems; it\u2019s reshaping how organizations allocate resources, advance capabilities, and achieve growth. Its influence touches every corner of an operating model, challenging leaders to not only capture the power of AI but to create meaningful value with it. The path forward is both exciting and intricate, filled with the promise of transformation and the need for thoughtful navigation. Get the latest AI insights and strategic perspectives from Forrester analysts and experts.<\/p>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/technology\/data-ai-leaders\/\">Discover how Forrester supports data, AI, and analytics leaders. <\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/artificial-intelligence-ai\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 2104,
                    "name": "B2B Marketing",
                    "slug": "b2b-marketing",
                    "description": "B2B marketing is increasingly expected to deliver the level of experience buyers are used to having as consumers. Success depends on marketers adapting \u2014 and quickly. Explore our B2B marketing insights to stay ahead.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/b2b-marketing\/\">Discover how Forrester supports B2B marketing leaders.<\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/b2b-marketing\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 50750,
                    "name": "Chief Marketing Officer",
                    "slug": "marketing-executive",
                    "description": "The stakes for marketing leaders are high as buyer expectations climb and pressures to prove ROI intensify. Explore our marketing executive insights to help drive marketing and sales alignment, connect marketing to business strategy, and show clear marketing ROI.\r\n\r\nDiscover how Forrester supports <a href=\"\/b2b-marketing\/\">B2B<\/a> and <a href=\"\/b2c-marketing\/\">B2C<\/a> marketing leaders.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/marketing-executive\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 51505,
                    "name": "Generative AI",
                    "slug": "generative-ai",
                    "description": "What is generative AI? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/technology\/generative-ai\/\">Generative AI <\/a>or genAI is defined as set of technologies and techniques that leverage very large corpuses of data, including large language models like GPT-3, to generate new content. Inputs for generative AI may be natural language prompts or other non-code and non-traditional inputs. It is sometimes referred to as AI-generated content or AIGC and can be used by a variety of roles and functions in the enterprise. GenAI includes large language models, generative adversarial networks, diffusion models, and variational autoencoders. It provides the ability to create shortcuts for onerous workflow tasks, speed up delivery times, and enhance employee productivity across multiple enterprise workflows. It increases the scale and speed of analysis and knowledge synthesis for various roles such as developers, marketers, and data scientists. In the short term, it will expand the breadth of human creative expression and drive innovation in product development, design, and content creation.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/generative-ai\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 51159,
                    "name": "marketing strategy",
                    "slug": "marketing-strategy",
                    "description": "A sound marketing strategy is essential for ensuring marketing delivers on business objectives. Read our insights for developing a long-term marketing strategy that sets a clear course of action and drives results.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/marketing-strategy\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 51430,
                    "name": "Responsible AI",
                    "slug": "responsible-ai",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/responsible-ai\/"
                }
            ],
            "author": "Mark Ogne"
        },
        {
            "post_type": "post",
            "post_id": 302876,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/the-seismic-highspot-merger-raises-the-bar-will-gtm-teams-clear-it\/",
            "title": "The Seismic-Highspot Merger Raises The Bar. Will GTM Teams Clear It?",
            "date": "Aug 18, 2026 17:02:38",
            "excerpt": "The merger of revenue enablement platform (REP) archrivals Seismic and Highspot is now complete. The combined company positions itself as a go-to-market (GTM) performance company focused on revenue execution rather than traditional enablement, serving thousands of customers and millions of users while investing more than $100 million annually in R&amp;D. The important \u201cWhat\u2019s next?\u201d following [&hellip;]",
            "body": "<p>The merger of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/the-revenue-enablement-platforms-landscape-q1-2026\/RES191297\">revenue enablement platform (REP)<\/a> archrivals Seismic and Highspot is now complete. The combined company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businesswire.com\/news\/home\/20260818005022\/en\/Seismic-Completes-Merger-With-Highspot-to-Create-a-New-Leader-in-Go-to-Market-Performance\">positions itself<\/a> as a go-to-market (GTM) performance company focused on revenue execution rather than traditional enablement, serving thousands of customers and millions of users while investing more than $100 million annually in R&amp;D.<\/p>\n<p>The important \u201cWhat\u2019s next?\u201d following the most consequential transaction the REP market has experienced, however, is not about size but whether a top-funded provider can solve the challenges that continue to prevent most organizations from realizing the full value of revenue enablement technology. Will the new Seismic close the current gap between what these platforms can do and what most organizations can successfully operationalize?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/as-rep-vendors-consolidate-buyers-face-clearer-choices-and-new-risks\/\">We wrote when the merger was announced<\/a> that continued consolidation would create clearer choices for buyers while also introducing new risks and that the market was moving beyond feature comparisons and rewarding vendors capable of connecting content, learning, coaching, intelligence, and execution. Those observations remain true today. If anything, the completed merger makes them more relevant.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Product Differentiation Has Narrowed. Will The New Seismic Pull Ahead?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>One of the defining characteristics of today\u2019s REP market is functional parity. Nearly every serious provider now offers some combination of AI-assisted content creation and content management; learning, coaching, and role-play; buyer engagement spaces; and enablement program management and advanced analytics.<\/p>\n<p>The challenge is no longer assembling capabilities but orchestrating them. The Seismic-Highspot merger creates the industry\u2019s strongest opportunity yet to move beyond individual features toward a connected execution environment. If successful, the company could reset buyer expectations and reopen meaningful separation in the market.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Can \u201cContent + Learning\u201d Finally Evolve Into Revenue Execution?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/planned-research\">pending publication<\/a> of the Forrester Wave for revenue enablement platforms in Q4 2026 will reveal in mid-October, the decade-long era of REPs that primarily compete around content consolidation and learning management is ending. The Seismic-Highspot merger messaging is notable because it focuses less on enablement preparation and more on GTM performance and revenue execution, which is precisely where our REP coverage anticipates the market\u2019s evolution. The next phase of revenue enablement is increasingly defined by systems that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Guide actions and reinforce behaviors.<\/li>\n<li>Activate and inform managers.<\/li>\n<li>Improve execution consistency.<\/li>\n<li>Make sense out of overlapping or conflicting information streams.<\/li>\n<li>Connect enablement investments to business outcomes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The technology appears increasingly capable of supporting that vision, but the larger question is whether customers are prepared to adopt it. For every REP Wave reference customer we encountered who showcased the advanced integration of systems and data required to leverage best-of-breed REP capabilities, we spoke with two or three others <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/stop-treating-revenue-enablement-platforms-as-set-and-forget\/\">still struggling<\/a> with disconnected systems and data, chaotic content, poor sales-marketing alignment, and REPs that weren\u2019t even CRM-integrated. Some customers find that they\u2019ve bought a Maserati just to drive to the flea market on Saturday mornings!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Seven Shifts That Will Define Revenue Enablement\u2019s Next Era<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In light of continued industry consolidation and our Wave research, here are the REP headlines moving forward:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> AI is moving from productivity to performance.<\/strong> Most organizations can already create and route content faster; far fewer can consistently improve execution, coaching, and selling outcomes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>AI role-play is becoming enablement\u2019s killer use case. <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/stop-running-batting-practice-in-sales-ai-role-play-is-the-new-pitching-machine\/\">Role-play is emerging<\/a> as the clearest path from AI experimentation to measurable seller improvement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Seller intelligence is becoming behavioral intelligence.<\/strong> The focus is shifting from tracking activity to identifying, reinforcing, and scaling successful seller behaviors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Winners reduce seller effort while increasing seller competence.<\/strong> The best platforms remove administrative burden while simultaneously making sellers more effective.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Data quality is becoming execution quality.<\/strong> Context, governance, integration, and clean sales and marketing signals increasingly determine whether AI improves seller execution.<\/li>\n<li><strong>\u201cHuman in the loop\u201d is winning.<\/strong> The most effective approaches combine AI scale with human judgment, coaching, and accountability.<\/li>\n<li><strong>AI amplifies maturity; it doesn\u2019t replace it.<\/strong> Organizations with strong governance, coaching, and enablement discipline will benefit disproportionately from AI investments.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>A Higher Bar Requires More Than Better Software<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The newly combined Seismic represents perhaps the market\u2019s most ambitious effort yet to build a true revenue execution platform. Its scale, investment, installed base, and vision are difficult to ignore, but the central challenge facing GTM leaders has never been technology alone. It\u2019s the ability to operationalize that technology through governance, integration, behavior change, manager engagement, and organizational discipline.<\/p>\n<p>The Seismic-Highspot merger raises the bar for the industry. Clearing that bar will require GTM organizations to do the harder work of aligning their people, processes, and data to turn better technology into better execution.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re a Forrester client thinking about how to take advantage of the latest revenue enablement capabilities, request a guidance session with us <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/inquiry\">here<\/a> to dive deeper and explore solutions that work in your environment.<\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 51784,
                    "name": "B2B Sales",
                    "slug": "b2b-sales",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/b2b-sales\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 50670,
                    "name": "Sales Enablement",
                    "slug": "sales-enablement",
                    "description": "Sales success \u2014 and, by extension, organizational success \u2014 rests in large part on sales reps having the skills and knowledge required to execute on sales strategy. Read our sales enablement insights to equip your sales team to achieve and exceed objectives.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/go.forrester.com\/sales\/\">Discover how Forrester supports sales professionals.<\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/sales-enablement\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 50663,
                    "name": "Sales Technology and Services",
                    "slug": "sales-technology",
                    "description": "In a hypercompetitive sales climate, sales technology choices are critical. These choices must be driven by sales strategy and business needs \u2014 not what's superficially appealing. Read our insights on streamlining sales processes, supporting sales productivity, and advancing sales goals through technology.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"\/sales\/\">Discover how Forrester helps sales professionals.<\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/sales-technology\/"
                }
            ],
            "meta_title": "Seismic-Highspot Merger Raises The Bar For GTM Execution",
            "meta_desc": "Discover how Seismic and Highspot\u2019s merger could reshape revenue enablement and why better software alone won\u2019t improve GTM execution.",
            "author": "Peter Ostrow",
            "coauthors": "Kathleen Pierce"
        },
        {
            "post_type": "post",
            "post_id": 302848,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/the-next-frontier-of-ai-led-transformation-calls-for-ai-governance-meet-kasia-jakimowicz-senior-analyst-for-ai-governance\/",
            "title": "The Next Frontier Of AI-Led Transformation Calls For AI Governance \u2014 Meet Kasia Jakimowicz, Senior Analyst For AI Governance",
            "date": "Aug 18, 2026 15:45:55",
            "excerpt": "For most of my career, two things have remained constant: a fascination with technology and a willingness to embrace transformation. I\u2019ve lived and worked across countries, sectors, and disciplines. I\u2019ve worked with entrepreneurs, startups, governments, international organizations, and business leaders across the globe and lived in various parts of Europe and the US. Through this [&hellip;]",
            "body": "<p>For most of my career, two things have remained constant: a fascination with technology and a willingness to embrace transformation.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve lived and worked across countries, sectors, and disciplines. I\u2019ve worked with entrepreneurs, startups, governments, international organizations, and business leaders across the globe and lived in various parts of Europe and the US. Through this journey, I have gained firsthand experience in how organizations across the globe adapt to technological, economic, and societal changes.<\/p>\n<p>Looking back, a common thread connects those experiences: Every transformation was shaped by and built upon the one that came before it.<\/p>\n<p>For example, entrepreneurship taught me the realities of innovation and scaling new ideas. Working with governments and international institutions showed me how policy, regulation, and trust shape the environment in which organizations operate and grow. As a senior policy adviser on AI, data, and emerging technology at the UK Mission to the United Nations, I worked at the intersection of diplomacy, technology, and governance as countries grappled with increasingly capable AI systems. I believe that transformation succeeds when advances in capabilities are applied on top of previous lessons learned.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Today\u2019s AI-Led Transformation Requires An Evolving Approach To AI Governance<\/strong><strong> For Scale And Business Value<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As AI systems become more capable and autonomous, organizations need governance that scales with the technology rather than constrains it.<\/p>\n<p>In an environment that is constantly evolving from experimentation to autonomous systems, many organizations feel pressure to move faster. But speed alone is not enough. The organizations that succeed will not simply be the ones that innovate fastest. They will be the ones that successfully combine innovation with trust, governance, resilience, and institutional knowledge. In other words, they will transform without forgetting what made them successful in the first place while recognizing that increasingly capable systems require new approaches to governance, assurance, oversight, and accountability.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, AI governance itself is evolving as organizations confront questions that go beyond traditional risk management and compliance: How do we govern systems whose capabilities evolve rapidly? How do you trust systems that act autonomously? How do you scale systems whose capabilities evolve faster than traditional control mechanisms? And how do we build trustworthy and resilient AI that organizations can rely on at scale and during runtime?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Why Forrester? And Why Now?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Alongside my previous career trajectory, my recent work with frontier AI governance and AI safety communities has provided a front-row seat to the debates shaping the future of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n<p>These experiences reinforced a lesson that has followed me throughout my career: Transformation succeeds when governance evolves alongside advances in capability. The more capable a certain technology becomes, the more important it is that trust, oversight, and accountability practices evolve with it. Governance of AI must also evolve and synergize changes in all types of governance. It must be the catalyst for successful AI-led transformation.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What Is Your Research Focus?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>As a senior analyst at Forrester, my research focuses on helping leaders build trustworthy, resilient, and governable AI systems that create business value while adapting to an increasingly autonomous future. I will be exploring:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>AI governance for future enterprises, agentic, and autonomous systems.<\/li>\n<li>Trustworthy and resilient AI for business value and competitive advantage.<\/li>\n<li>AI policy and regulatory impact on enterprise AI adoption.<\/li>\n<li>Governance challenges and organizational readiness for frontier AI and emerging technologies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Let\u2019s Connect<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>I bring new perspectives to help leaders navigate one of the most significant transformations of our time: building AI systems that organizations can confidently scale.<\/p>\n<p>I look forward to exploring these challenges and opportunities with you. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/inquiry?id=4\">Book a guidance session with me.<\/a><\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 52023,
                    "name": "Agentic AI",
                    "slug": "agentic-ai",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/artificial-intelligence-ai\/agentic-ai\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 2352,
                    "name": "AI Insights",
                    "slug": "artificial-intelligence-ai",
                    "description": "<p class=\"text-body font-regular leading-[24px] pt-[9px] pb-[2px]\">The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how organizations operate, offering unprecedented opportunities to boost efficiency and drive innovation. Yet, alongside this immense potential comes a layer of complexity that requires deliberate strategy. AI is doing more than just enhancing systems; it\u2019s reshaping how organizations allocate resources, advance capabilities, and achieve growth. Its influence touches every corner of an operating model, challenging leaders to not only capture the power of AI but to create meaningful value with it. The path forward is both exciting and intricate, filled with the promise of transformation and the need for thoughtful navigation. Get the latest AI insights and strategic perspectives from Forrester analysts and experts.<\/p>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/technology\/data-ai-leaders\/\">Discover how Forrester supports data, AI, and analytics leaders. <\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/artificial-intelligence-ai\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 51984,
                    "name": "AI model",
                    "slug": "ai-model",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/artificial-intelligence-ai\/ai-model\/"
                }
            ],
            "author": "Kasia Jakimowicz"
        },
        {
            "post_type": "post",
            "post_id": 302835,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/the-first-principles-of-cybersecurity-still-apply\/",
            "title": "The First Principles Of Cybersecurity Still Apply",
            "date": "Aug 18, 2026 13:50:22",
            "excerpt": "As cyberthreats evolve and AI accelerates attacker capabilities, the most effective defenses remain the foundational practices many organizations overlook. Learn why recent attacks on critical infrastructure reinforce the need to focus on basic security principles before investing in new technologies.",
            "body": "<p>Years ago, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/news\/privacy\/study-unpatched-pcs-compromised-in-20-minutes\/\">security researchers<\/a> demonstrated a simple reality: Connect an unprotected computer directly to the internet, and it won\u2019t stay untouched for long. The exact timeline varied \u2014 sometimes it took minutes, sometimes it took longer \u2014 but the outcome was always predictable; attackers would find the system and begin probing it for weaknesses.<\/p>\n<p>Technology has changed since then. Operating systems improved. Endpoint protection became stronger. Security teams became more mature. What hasn\u2019t changed is the principle.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you expose an unprotected system to hostile networks, someone will eventually find it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fbi.gov\/investigate\/cyber\/alerts\/2026\/malicious-cyber-actors-targeting-water-and-wastewater-sector-internet--facing-programmable-logic-controllers-causing-operational-disruptions\">Recent attacks<\/a> against US water and wastewater facilities remind us that this principle applies to operational technology (OT) just as it does to traditional IT.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Attack Path Wasn\u2019t\u00a0Sophisticated<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Many discussions surrounding public water-supply cybersecurity issues correctly identity budget constraints, staffing shortages, and limited access to OT security expertise as factors. Those issues are real. But they are often treated as the primary reasons for cyberattacks. In many cases, they are not.<\/p>\n<p>The more fundamental issue is that organizations continue to expose vulnerable operational systems that control physical processes to networks that attackers can reach. Think about that for a moment.<\/p>\n<p>Most organizations would never place a critical Windows server directly on the public internet without controls around it. Yet we continue to discover <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cisa.gov\/news-events\/cybersecurity-advisories\/aa23-335a\">programmable logic controllers (PLCs)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/cybersecuritynews.com\/145000-unsecured-ics-devices-exposed\/\">industrial control systems<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/hackread.com\/us-tops-list-unsecured-cameras-exposing-homes-offices\/\">cameras<\/a>, and other IoT and OT assets that remain directly accessible. The recent water-sector incidents, along with similar attacks against exposed PLCs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ic3.gov\/CSA\/2026\/260407.pdf\">earlier this year<\/a>, reflect the same underlying problem \u2014 different threat actors, different targets, same vulnerability:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The devices were visible.<\/li>\n<li>The devices were reachable.<\/li>\n<li>The devices became targets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Security By Obscurity Has Never Been An Effective Security Strategy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Many operators assume their environment is too small, too remote, or too specialized to attract attention. That assumption no longer holds, if it ever did in the first place.<\/p>\n<p>Services such as Shodan continuously scan the internet for exposed devices and services. Shodan is helpful for security analysts to understand what systems within their enterprise are exposed, but it also means attackers no longer need to know about your organization to find your systems. These services have effectively automated discovery, and the result is that visibility itself becomes a risk. Security leaders need to realize that not every attack is driven by ideology, geopolitical objectives, or a multimillion-dollar ransom demand. Sometimes attackers compromise a system simply because they can.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>AI Makes The Problem Worse<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Agentic AI introduces another challenge for critical infrastructure operators. Organizations are rapidly exploring how AI can improve productivity, automate workflows, and help security teams operate more efficiently. Threat actors are pursuing similar goals and using automation to identify exposed assets, gather intelligence, and streamline exploitation. This is shifting the economics of reconnaissance in the attacker\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n<p>Finding exposed systems no longer requires significant effort. Correlating those systems with known weaknesses becomes easier and building repeatable attack workflows becomes faster. Organizations should not assume that future threats will involve highly skilled adversaries manually targeting individual assets, and many attacks will now begin with automated systems continuously searching for opportunities.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Cybersecurity Industry Is Moving In The Right Direction<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t consider this to be more doom-mongering, as there are positive developments. Following the recent water-sector incidents, managed detection and response providers have begun stepping forward with programs designed to help municipalities improve visibility and security. Some cybersecurity vendors in OT are offering discounted solutions for those businesses that are critical and severely lacking in resources. Policymakers and regulators are also renewing conversations around critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity requirements. These efforts matter, but they should not distract organizations from the most important lesson: Technology alone cannot compensate for poor architecture.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Return To First Principles<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Business leaders running OT environments don\u2019t need to invent entirely new security concepts, as many of the most effective protections have existed for decades. Start with the basics:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t expose operational systems directly to the internet.<\/li>\n<li>Segment operational workflows from one another.<\/li>\n<li>Restrict user access to only the systems required for their jobs.<\/li>\n<li>Closely manage connectivity between IT and OT environments.<\/li>\n<li>Monitor and secure remote-access pathways.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As IT and OT continue to converge, these fundamentals become even more important. Human resources personnel do not need direct paths into manufacturing systems. Administrative networks do not need unrestricted access to industrial control environments. Security boundaries remain relevant regardless of the technology being protected.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Don\u2019t Forget Remote Connectivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>One final point deserves attention. Many critical infrastructure operators rely on remote sites that require continuous monitoring and management. Water utilities, for example, often connect treatment facilities, pumping stations, reservoirs, and distribution systems across large geographic areas. These connections are necessary, but they also create risk.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thehackernews.com\/2026\/08\/hackers-breach-polish-power-plant.html\">Recent incidents<\/a> demonstrate that attackers are increasingly targeting communications infrastructure, including private cellular networks used to connect remote operational environments. Organizations should treat these connections with the same rigor they apply to internet-facing assets: Secure them, monitor them, and verify access continuously. Remote connectivity should not become an unmonitored pathway into operational systems.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The One Question You Need To Ask<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The cybersecurity challenges facing municipalities and critical infrastructure operators are complex. Funding shortages, staffing gaps, and aging infrastructure all contribute to the problem, but before organizations pursue new tools, new regulations, or new technologies, they should ask a simpler question:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Why is this system reachable in the first place?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Forrester clients interested in this topic should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/inquiry\">connect with us<\/a> to discuss via an inquiry or guidance session.<\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 51101,
                    "name": "CISO Trends",
                    "slug": "ciso-chief-information-security-officer",
                    "description": "The chief information security officer (CISO) role is growing in importance and remit. Discover the latest trends and analysis for CISOs and information security leaders.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/ciso-chief-information-security-officer\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 14963,
                    "name": "Cybersecurity Trends",
                    "slug": "cybersecurity",
                    "description": "Stay up-to-date on the cutting edge of cybersecurity with insights on Zero Trust, vendors, regulations, and other privacy &amp; security topics.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/cybersecurity\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 2430,
                    "name": "security architecture",
                    "slug": "security-architecture",
                    "description": "As businesses compete to win and retain customers concerned about the privacy of their data, more firms are learning the value of a robust and effective security architecture. Get benchmarks and technical guidance here.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"\/technology\/\">Learn more about how Forrester supports IT professionals.<\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/security-architecture\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 51787,
                    "name": "Security management",
                    "slug": "security-management",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/security-management\/"
                }
            ],
            "author": "Paddy Harrington"
        },
        {
            "post_type": "post",
            "post_id": 302843,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/forresters-global-net-promoter-score-rankings-reveal-a-turn-in-customer-loyalty\/",
            "title": "Forrester\u2019s Global Net Promoter Score Rankings Reveal A Turn In Customer Loyalty",
            "date": "Aug 17, 2026 16:09:54",
            "excerpt": "If you\u2019ve ever felt late-summer sadness, you\u2019re not alone. Perhaps it\u2019s because days are getting shorter or you feel the impending sense of a return to dull routines. Mental health experts recommend getting outside as much as possible to boost Vitamin D intake and squeezing in that last beach read before Labor Day. You might [&hellip;]",
            "body": "<p>If you\u2019ve ever felt late-summer sadness, you\u2019re not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newporthealthcare.com\/resources\/in-the-news\/august-sadness\/\">alone<\/a>. Perhaps it\u2019s because days are getting shorter or you feel the impending sense of a return to dull routines. Mental health experts recommend getting outside as much as possible to boost Vitamin D intake and squeezing in that last beach read before Labor Day. You might also take solace in new Forrester research showing that consumer loyalty sentiments have rebounded a bit.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Net Promoter Scores Show Signs Of Recovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>After several years of uneven performance, customer loyalty is showing encouraging signs of recovery. Results from the newly published report, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/forresters-global-net-promoter-score-rankings-2026\/RES200310\">Forrester\u2019s Global Net Promoter Score Rankings, 2026<\/a>, which examines the likelihood to recommend (advocacy) as a proxy of loyalty, suggest that many brands are rebuilding customer loyalty and associated sentiments like trust.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Our analysis reveals: <\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>In the US and Canada, more brands improved than declined, with nearly one in five US brands and more than one-third of Canadian brands showing statistically significant improvements. These gains lifted industry performance, reversing a multiyear trend of declining advocacy.<\/li>\n<li>The picture in Europe was more mixed but largely positive. Most industries remained stable, while several countries\u2019 banking industries recorded meaningful gains.<\/li>\n<li>Asia Pacific presented the greatest challenges. Most brands were statistically unchanged, but declines outnumbered improvements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The broader takeaway is clear and positive: Customer advocacy is no longer moving uniformly downward. While many brands\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/net-promoter-score\">Net Promoter Score\u2120 (NPS)<\/a> results remain stuck in place, organizations that improve experiences are beginning to see measurable gains in customers\u2019 willingness to recommend them.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Beat Summer Doldrums With Detailed Actions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Whether your brand has maintained level performance or made significant improvements over the past year, let Forrester help you take advantage of the momentum. Forrester clients can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dig deeper to understand the drivers of customer intent.<\/strong> Use Forrester\u2019s research to understand more fully your detractors, your promoters, and the key drivers of NPS. You can also gain insight into how these customer segments rate your brand on other important variables such as trust, brand value, and customer experience (CX) quality \u2014 factors that comprise Forrester\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/forresters-global-total-experience-score-rankings-2026\/RES196454\">Total Experience Score<\/a>. Contact your account team to request deep-dive analyses for your brand or industry.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Call a friend.<\/strong>\u00a0Schedule a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/inquiry\">guidance session<\/a> with me to discuss scores from this report, trends over the past few years, and next steps for improving your customer loyalty and CX quality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Whether or not you\u2019re currently a Forrester client, consider these actions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Benchmark appropriately.<\/strong> If you measure NPS internally or through a third-party benchmark study, don\u2019t compare your scores directly. It\u2019s not an apples-to-apples comparison, since survey methodologies and sampling differ. Instead, examine your firm\u2019s scores over time to see if they are moving in the same direction as your industry or key competitors. These answers will be more insightful and can help you with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/how-to-set-cx-metrics-goals\/RES179120\">goal-setting<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use all your data to gain insights.<\/strong> Unstructured and operational metrics are key sources of insight for identifying root causes of customer discontent (i.e., detractors). Cast your net wide to identify any source of info (qualitative or quantitative) that can help you identify journey steps that cause frustration and make it harder for customers to do business with you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>And don\u2019t<\/strong> <strong>forget<\/strong> about that Vitamin D!<\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 2242,
                    "name": "Age of the Customer",
                    "slug": "age-of-the-customer",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/age-of-the-customer\/"
                }
            ],
            "author": "Pete Jacques"
        },
        {
            "post_type": "post",
            "post_id": 302542,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/content-alone-wont-close-your-ai-skills-gap\/",
            "title": "Content (Alone) Won\u2019t Close Your AI Skills Gap",
            "date": "Aug 17, 2026 15:03:20",
            "excerpt": "Over the last year, there has been a recurring theme in my client requests. Who makes the best AI upskilling content? What should I buy to upskill my workforce? What\u2019s the fastest way to learn AI skills? At first, I responded by saying that the content market was evolving quickly, and I couldn\u2019t give anyone [&hellip;]",
            "body": "<p>Over the last year, there has been a recurring theme in my client requests.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who makes the best AI upskilling content?<\/li>\n<li>What should I buy to upskill my workforce?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s the fastest way to learn AI skills?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At first, I responded by saying that the content market was evolving quickly, and I couldn\u2019t give anyone a \u201cbest\u201d or even a \u201crecommended\u201d list of AI upskilling content. But now, two years into the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/the-private-ai-model-explosion\/\">most significant technology disruption of our lifetime<\/a>, I really want to help. But my observation is that answering this question with a list isn\u2019t solving the actual problem \u2014\u00a0because content is not the problem.<\/p>\n<p>The problem is that your organization <em>is not ready<\/em> for the content, and much of the content that exists isn\u2019t ready for you. To be ready for the content, you need some things in place, namely:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/your-employees-arent-ready-for-ai-prepare-them-with-aiq\/\">A baseline for your organizational AIQ.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/align-skills-with-your-agentic-progression-the-foundation-of-your-agent-experience-ax-program\/RES192220\">A clear understanding of the skills you\u2019re trying to build.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/learning-culture-powers-your-organizational-adaptivity\/RES159140\">Learning culture that supports active experimentation and growth.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/forrester-aegis-the-new-standard-for-ai-governance\/\">Governance and guardrails.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Many of you are working on these things; some of you may want to jump right over them and write a check to a vendor so you can move on. But the technology is evolving quickly, as are organizational use cases. This is what I mean when I say the content isn\u2019t ready for you.<\/p>\n<p>Skills development platform vendors, custom content development providers, universities, and many more solutions are leaping to fill the market with content that responds to this demand from potential customers. But the pace at which the technology is changing means that much of the technical content ages faster than your employees can engage with it. Layer that on top of the fact that each organization is approaching AI in their own ways and that content becomes an even weaker tool for trying to close the skills gap.<\/p>\n<p>What is needed here are foundational skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and, more than anything, safe spaces to practice and build confidence. So I still can\u2019t give you the list of content, but now you know why, and more importantly, you know what you can be doing to make the most of the content that you do acquire as well as content that hasn\u2019t been developed yet.<\/p>\n<p>We will continue to keep our eye on the content market, but in this moment, your best approach for upskilling your employees is to build a strong foundation of learning as an organizational practice rather than searching for an AI upskilling-content silver bullet. If you want help, we have a portfolio of resources to help you assess, design, and build your organizational learning capabilities to meet the challenge of AI adoption \u2014 just reach out.<\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 2242,
                    "name": "Age of the Customer",
                    "slug": "age-of-the-customer",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/age-of-the-customer\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 34596,
                    "name": "Change Management",
                    "slug": "change-management",
                    "description": "In an environment driven by transformation and disruption, the human elements of change management can present the biggest risks. Get the latest research and insights on how leading firms drive positive change across the enterprise.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/change-management\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 51503,
                    "name": "Future of Work",
                    "slug": "future-of-work",
                    "description": "The future of work refers to how business and workplaces will change and shift over time. Forrester\u2019s future of work research team continuously analyzes a variety of changing trends to produce unique perspectives on how business and technology trends will impact workers across industries and geographies. From hybrid work to automation technology to talent shortages, the future of work is constantly changing and Forrester will continue to track it and analyze it.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/future-of-work\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 51505,
                    "name": "Generative AI",
                    "slug": "generative-ai",
                    "description": "What is generative AI? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/technology\/generative-ai\/\">Generative AI <\/a>or genAI is defined as set of technologies and techniques that leverage very large corpuses of data, including large language models like GPT-3, to generate new content. Inputs for generative AI may be natural language prompts or other non-code and non-traditional inputs. It is sometimes referred to as AI-generated content or AIGC and can be used by a variety of roles and functions in the enterprise. GenAI includes large language models, generative adversarial networks, diffusion models, and variational autoencoders. It provides the ability to create shortcuts for onerous workflow tasks, speed up delivery times, and enhance employee productivity across multiple enterprise workflows. It increases the scale and speed of analysis and knowledge synthesis for various roles such as developers, marketers, and data scientists. In the short term, it will expand the breadth of human creative expression and drive innovation in product development, design, and content creation.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/generative-ai\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 2225,
                    "name": "learning",
                    "slug": "learning",
                    "description": "Learning is a crucial component of business transformation. It ensures that employees buy in to the firm's vision and have the necessary skills to turn business strategy into business reality.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/learning\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 34580,
                    "name": "technology-driven innovation",
                    "slug": "technology-driven-innovation",
                    "description": "Firms with advanced technology-driven innovation practices grow three to four times faster than the industry average. Learn how your firm can outpace your peers.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"\/technology\/\">Discover how Forrester supports IT leaders.<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">\u00a0<\/span><\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/technology-driven-innovation\/"
                }
            ],
            "meta_desc": "Your org is not ready for the best AI upskilling content out there, and the rest of the content isn\u2019t ready for you. Here\u2019s what to do instead.",
            "author": "Katy Tynan"
        },
        {
            "post_type": "post",
            "post_id": 302462,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/meet-digital-experience-techs-new-interface-agentic-ai-systems-of-action\/",
            "title": "Meet Digital Experience Tech\u2019s New Interface: Agentic AI Systems Of Action",
            "date": "Aug 17, 2026 13:02:56",
            "excerpt": "User interfaces and workflows built with agentic AI are emerging as the next frontier of digital experience tech\u2019s evolution. For two decades, digital teams accelerated business results by implementing better software. Monolithic digital experience and content management solutions gave way to composable architectures that allowed digital teams to assemble specialized capabilities faster and create better [&hellip;]",
            "body": "<p>User interfaces and workflows built with agentic AI are emerging as the next frontier of digital experience tech\u2019s evolution. For two decades, digital teams accelerated business results by implementing better software. Monolithic digital experience and content management solutions gave way to composable architectures that allowed digital teams to assemble specialized capabilities faster and create better customer experiences. But composability didn\u2019t eliminate workflow friction. Content teams still had to navigate the user interfaces in each system or rely on developers to build custom interfaces on top of them.<\/p>\n<p>Now, practitioners responsible for digital experiences can express their intent in an agentic interface and allow AI to orchestrate the workflow by connecting to existing SaaS solutions and deliver the intended outcome for a digital practitioner. AI has already made content more abundant through generative AI. It is beginning to change how digital experience teams work in these systems to generate business value. In response, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/the-ai-cmo-growth-accountability-gets-next-level\/\">AI CMOs<\/a> are rebalancing technology and talent investments:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/data-and-insights\/surveys\/forresters-marketing-survey-2026\/SUS191349\">39%<\/a> of B2C marketing decision-makers are increasing tech spending by 5% or more.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/data-and-insights\/surveys\/forresters-marketing-survey-2026\/SUS191349\">63%<\/a> of C-level B2B marketing decision-makers are slowing hiring until they understand AI\u2019s organizational impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Although software vendor investment in agentic solutions is accelerating, enterprise adoption is still in its early days. Many organizations are first evaluating governance requirements, organizational readiness, and the maturity of agentic AI before expanding production use. As a result, most organizations should view agentic AI solutions in digital experience tech as an emerging capability, rather than core functionality, in their digital tech stacks.<\/p>\n<h3>Agentic AI Solutions Promise To Accelerate The Pace And Creativity Of Digital Teams<\/h3>\n<p>With the tools available today, practitioners can express their intent conversationally. That\u2019s the promise we\u2019re monitoring. Agentic AI solutions retrieve the content, assets, and data from the systems of record and complete the work across the underlying stack. Instead of waiting for developers to build a custom workflow, practitioners receive a dynamically assembled one for their intended goal. The promise? Accelerate the pace of work in digital teams.<\/p>\n<p>Composable architectures gave digital teams more flexibility, but they did not always give practitioners more creativity. Too often, the creative promise got trapped behind technical assembly of a composable tech stack. Practitioners could imagine richer experiences, but turning those ideas into reality required developers to integrate digital and content tech, templates, and design systems and then tie them together with workflows. Agentic AI solutions offer conversational interfaces that help digital leaders creatively design and iterate across multiple software systems.<\/p>\n<p>Many digital experience platform and content management system vendors are now introducing agent orchestration capabilities that allow campaign designers to dream up a great idea, express it in words, and have different ideas, content, and data come together without requiring developers. Adobe, Optimizely, Sitecore, Acquia, and several other software vendors are already laying the foundations. And if you have a bespoke multivendor digital experience tech stack, commercial solutions like Gradial or custom solutions built on Claude can layer on top without a replatforming project.<\/p>\n<h3>Rethink Your Digital Experience And Content Technologies For An Agentic AI Future<\/h3>\n<p>AI <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/generative-ai-will-sprint-into-your-business-through-four-doors\/\">is walking into businesses through four doors<\/a>, but it doesn\u2019t change a digital team\u2019s objective: growth through digital channels. If agentic interfaces become the primary way that digital practitioners interact with technology, then you must rethink the role of your digital experience and content tech solutions. The question for you is: How effectively can agentic systems access, orchestrate, and act on the applications your teams use today? To make deliberate choices about your digital experience solutions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Treat your existing SaaS solutions as strategic systems of record.<\/strong> As digital teams spend less time inside individual applications, the value of those applications increasingly comes from the content, assets, data, permissions, and workflow history they contain, not their user interfaces. Agentic systems can only be as effective as the context they derive for your on-brand content and data. As a result, you should evaluate platforms not only by their user experience but also by the quality, accessibility, and governance of the information that powers them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reserve custom software composition for competitive differentiation.<\/strong> Composability remains valuable because agentic systems depend on the APIs, integrations, and services that composable architectures expose. But you should be very selective about what you custom-build. If a capability can be assembled through orchestrating agentic workflows, building a business case for a bespoke implementation becomes more challenging. Custom composition should focus on capabilities that your competitors cannot easily acquire, replicate, or generate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reassess the economics of new digital and content tech modernizations.<\/strong> For years, you justified platform replacements because productivity improvements or tech agility required new software and the associated new user experiences (e.g., visual builders). Agentic solutions introduce another path. You may increasingly improve how practitioners work without replacing the systems beneath them. You must now ask whether the desired outcome requires a new platform or simply a better orchestration layer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If agentic interfaces and workflows begin demonstrating business impact at scale, the future of digital experience and content management solutions will be shaped by systems of record and systems of action that utilize context. If this trend continues, the most important architectural decisions of the next decade may not be about the applications that you implement but rather the systems of action that you trust as the interface for your digital teams \u2014 and the context layer upon which they act.<\/p>\n<p><em>If you are a Forrester client interested in discussing the evolution of your digital experience and content management solutions for humans and agents, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/inquiry\">book an inquiry or guidance session<\/a> with my colleague <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/analyst-bio\/chuck-gahun\/BIO20107\">Chuck Gahun<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/analyst-bio\/joe-cicman\/BIO14164\">myself<\/a>. We are available to discuss topics such as content management and digital experience platform provider selection.<\/em><\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 2352,
                    "name": "AI Insights",
                    "slug": "artificial-intelligence-ai",
                    "description": "<p class=\"text-body font-regular leading-[24px] pt-[9px] pb-[2px]\">The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how organizations operate, offering unprecedented opportunities to boost efficiency and drive innovation. Yet, alongside this immense potential comes a layer of complexity that requires deliberate strategy. AI is doing more than just enhancing systems; it\u2019s reshaping how organizations allocate resources, advance capabilities, and achieve growth. Its influence touches every corner of an operating model, challenging leaders to not only capture the power of AI but to create meaningful value with it. The path forward is both exciting and intricate, filled with the promise of transformation and the need for thoughtful navigation. Get the latest AI insights and strategic perspectives from Forrester analysts and experts.<\/p>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/technology\/data-ai-leaders\/\">Discover how Forrester supports data, AI, and analytics leaders. <\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/artificial-intelligence-ai\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 2335,
                    "name": "Application Development &amp; Delivery",
                    "slug": "application-development-delivery",
                    "description": "Application development &amp; delivery is a complex and crucial competency in today's digitized business world. Read insights on trends, best practices, emerging technologies, and more for application development &amp; delivery professionals.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"\/technology\/\">Discover how Forrester supports technology executives. <\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/application-development-delivery\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 2104,
                    "name": "B2B Marketing",
                    "slug": "b2b-marketing",
                    "description": "B2B marketing is increasingly expected to deliver the level of experience buyers are used to having as consumers. Success depends on marketers adapting \u2014 and quickly. Explore our B2B marketing insights to stay ahead.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/b2b-marketing\/\">Discover how Forrester supports B2B marketing leaders.<\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/b2b-marketing\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 2103,
                    "name": "B2C Marketing",
                    "slug": "b2c-marketing",
                    "description": "B2C marketing is navigating choppy waters. The tactics that drive short-term gains are alienating customers over the long-term, eroding loyalty and affinity. Read our insights to learn more about how B2C marketing teams can thrive in the midst of this tension.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"\/b2c-marketing\/\">Discover how Forrester supports B2C marketing leaders.<\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/b2c-marketing\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 50750,
                    "name": "Chief Marketing Officer",
                    "slug": "marketing-executive",
                    "description": "The stakes for marketing leaders are high as buyer expectations climb and pressures to prove ROI intensify. Explore our marketing executive insights to help drive marketing and sales alignment, connect marketing to business strategy, and show clear marketing ROI.\r\n\r\nDiscover how Forrester supports <a href=\"\/b2b-marketing\/\">B2B<\/a> and <a href=\"\/b2c-marketing\/\">B2C<\/a> marketing leaders.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/marketing-executive\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 34496,
                    "name": "Marketing Technology (martech)",
                    "slug": "marketing-technology-martech",
                    "description": "Marketers have gone full-tilt into marketing technology (martech) to improve engagement. Yet the strategy behind these investments hasn't always kept pace. Read our insights on using marketing technology to achieve more meaningful and profitable experiences.\r\n\r\nDiscover how Forrester supports\u00a0<a href=\"\/b2b-marketing\/\">B2B<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"\/b2c-marketing\/\">B2C<\/a>\u00a0marketing leaders.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/marketing-technology-martech\/"
                }
            ],
            "meta_desc": "Discover how agentic systems of AI action will define the next era of marketing technology and how to start preparing your martech stack.",
            "author": "Joe Cicman",
            "coauthors": "Chuck Gahun"
        },
        {
            "post_type": "post",
            "post_id": 302774,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/is-your-marketing-function-capable-of-growth\/",
            "title": "Is Your Marketing Function Capable Of Growth?",
            "date": "Aug 17, 2026 10:44:36",
            "excerpt": "I\u2019m a very inexperienced gardener. I\u2019m lucky that the annuals in the yard I inherited from a previous green-thumbed owner are fairly hearty and thrive despite my lackluster efforts. But even I know that if I manage to nurture a seed into a seedling, I wouldn\u2019t then start to measure success by how many bunnies [&hellip;]",
            "body": "<p>I\u2019m a very inexperienced gardener. I\u2019m lucky that the annuals in the yard I inherited from a previous green-thumbed owner are fairly hearty and thrive despite my lackluster efforts. But even <em>I<\/em> know that if I manage to nurture a seed into a seedling, I wouldn\u2019t then start to measure success by how many bunnies are aware of its presence, by the satisfaction of the bees who frequent it, or by its efficient use of resources. I\u2019d measure success by continued growth, and I\u2019d ensure it through an intentional combination of activities and enabling conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Such should be the case for marketers, as well: Growth has always been the goal, and that mandate has not gone away. If anything, it has become more urgent, yet many marketing functions still behave as if growth happens as a byproduct of everything else they do and measure.<\/p>\n<p>Forrester\u2019s data shows the gap, with only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/data-and-insights\/surveys\/forresters-marketing-survey-2026\/SUS191349\">18% of B2C marketing decision-makers<\/a> saying that they frequently use revenue growth to measure and attribute the incremental business value of marketing. Customer satisfaction and loyalty are among the top responses, but those metrics only tell part of the story.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Growth Is At The Heart Of Our B2C Marketing Capabilities Map And Assessment<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Informed by focus groups with CMOs, Forrester established seven priorities of B2C marketing executives that build on and interact with each other to deliver growth, outlined in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/market-to-grow-a-practical-framework-for-b2c-marketing-executives\/RES198658\">Market To Grow: A Practical Framework For B2C Marketing Executives<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In our new report, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/the-forrester-b2c-marketing-capabilities-map-and-assessment\/RES199258\">The Forrester B2C Marketing Capabilities Map And Assessment<\/a>, we identify 30 capabilities that set up B2C marketing functions to drive business growth. These flow from the seven priorities as well as four additional capabilities required to plan for, adapt to, and influence growth: developing growth strategy; innovating winning products; leading change; and influencing stakeholders.<\/p>\n<p>The B2C Marketing Capabilities Map is designed for the marketing function as a whole. Capabilities may reside in different teams, individuals, or ways of working, depending on the organization\u2019s strategy and operating model. What matters is that the capabilities exist somewhere within the function and can be activated to support growth.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Prioritize Investments By Assessing Your B2C Marketing Capabilities<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Our capabilities report is paired with an assessment that helps CMOs evaluate gaps and prioritize investments. Rather than relying on intuition, CMOs can identify the capabilities that represent the greatest opportunities to improve their ability to drive business growth. Not every weak capability deserves immediate investment, not every strong capability deserves more resources, and not every shiny new capability is equally important to the business strategy.<\/p>\n<p>The B2C Marketing Capabilities Assessment collects two inputs: (1) how important each capability is to the organization\u2019s success and (2) how effectively the organization currently performs against it. Those inputs help categorize capabilities into critical gaps, core strengths, underleveraged assets, back burners, and throwaways.<\/p>\n<p>Marketing organizations often feel the need to be great at everything because everything feels important to someone, but <strong>growth-minded CMOs need the discipline to decide what to fix, what to scale, what to park, and what to stop pretending matters right now<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Marketing leaders are under pressure to do more with less, prove more with better evidence, and adapt faster than their organizations often allow. That\u2019s not going to change anytime soon, so CMOs need a clearer view of what their marketing function is capable of so they can build it around their company\u2019s growth strategy.<\/p>\n<p>Forrester clients can read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/the-forrester-b2c-marketing-capabilities-map-and-assessment\/RES199258\">The Forrester B2C Marketing Capabilities Map And Assessment<\/a> to begin diagnosing their function\u2019s readiness for sustained growth. To discuss how this applies to your organization and to take the full assessment, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/inquiry\">request a guidance session<\/a>. And don\u2019t worry: I\u2019ll keep you posted if I\u2019m capable of growing anything but weeds in my yard.<\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 2103,
                    "name": "B2C Marketing",
                    "slug": "b2c-marketing",
                    "description": "B2C marketing is navigating choppy waters. The tactics that drive short-term gains are alienating customers over the long-term, eroding loyalty and affinity. Read our insights to learn more about how B2C marketing teams can thrive in the midst of this tension.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"\/b2c-marketing\/\">Discover how Forrester supports B2C marketing leaders.<\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/b2c-marketing\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 50750,
                    "name": "Chief Marketing Officer",
                    "slug": "marketing-executive",
                    "description": "The stakes for marketing leaders are high as buyer expectations climb and pressures to prove ROI intensify. Explore our marketing executive insights to help drive marketing and sales alignment, connect marketing to business strategy, and show clear marketing ROI.\r\n\r\nDiscover how Forrester supports <a href=\"\/b2b-marketing\/\">B2B<\/a> and <a href=\"\/b2c-marketing\/\">B2C<\/a> marketing leaders.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/marketing-executive\/"
                }
            ],
            "meta_desc": "The Forrester B2C Marketing Capabilities Map is a framework of 30 capabilities that define what CMOs need to deliver sustained growth.",
            "author": "Eric Epstein"
        },
        {
            "post_type": "post",
            "post_id": 302702,
            "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/partner-ecosystem-growths-new-challenge-understanding-how-partners-create-value\/",
            "title": "Partner Ecosystem Growth\u2019s New Challenge: Understanding How Partners Create Value",
            "date": "Aug 14, 2026 10:46:34",
            "excerpt": "For years, B2B organizations have expanded their partner ecosystems by adding new partner types, routes to market, and strategic relationships. The result has been greater market reach, new growth opportunities, and increasingly complex partner ecosystems. A growing challenge for suppliers is establishing a clear, consistent, and effective definition of the partners within their partner ecosystem. [&hellip;]",
            "body": "<p>For years, B2B organizations have expanded their partner ecosystems by adding new partner types, routes to market, and strategic relationships. The result has been greater market reach, new growth opportunities, <em>and<\/em> increasingly complex partner ecosystems.<\/p>\n<p>A growing challenge for suppliers is establishing a clear, consistent, and effective definition of the partners within their partner ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p>Ask 10 organizations what constitutes a technology partner, alliance partner, or solution provider, and you may get 10 different answers. Partner terminology varies widely across industries, geographies, and organizations, and partner names alone reveal very little about the value a partner actually delivers.<\/p>\n<p>As B2B partner ecosystems evolve, organizations need a more disciplined approach to understanding who their partners are, how they create value and contribute to business growth, and where they fit within the broader partner ecosystem strategy.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Growing Partner Ecosystem Diversity Outpaces Organizational Understanding<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Partner ecosystem teams work daily with a growing network of strategic alliances, hyperscalers, technology partners, developers (including AI agent developers), distributors, digital routes to market, solution providers, service providers, integrators, referral partners, and influencers. Yet the broader organization frequently views partners as a single, homogeneous group.<\/p>\n<p>This creates a growing disconnect between partner ecosystem reality and organizational perception, requiring partner ecosystem leaders to spend valuable time helping internal stakeholders understand that not all partners are designed to create value in the same manner.<\/p>\n<p>Complicating matters further, many partners no longer fit neatly into a single category. Modern partners often operate across multiple partner business models.<\/p>\n<p>This is where many organizations struggle. Where the broader business sees all partners as the same or as a singular partner category (e.g., resellers), the partner ecosystem team recognizes a complex set of business relationships, value exchanges, and growth opportunities.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Problem Isn\u2019t Partner Complexity \u2014 It\u2019s Partner Clarity<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Most partner ecosystem leaders don\u2019t need fewer partner types. They need a better framework for defining them.<\/p>\n<p>Organizations should focus on what values partners deliver and how those values contribute to partner ecosystem success, because before organizations can optimize, measure, incentivize, or scale their partner ecosystems, they must first understand them.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Defining Partner Business Models Creates Organizational Alignment<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In our newly updated report, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/defining-partner-types-and-partner-business-models\/RES171516\">Defining Partner Types And Partner Business Models<\/a>, we provide practical approaches and supporting templates to help organizations define and document partner business models across their increasingly diverse partner ecosystems.<\/p>\n<p>The objective is not simply better classification. It is creating a definitional framework that helps sales, marketing, product, and partner ecosystem teams align around how partners contribute to business growth.<\/p>\n<p>When partner business models are clearly defined, organizations are better positioned to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Communicate partner value to executives and stakeholders.<\/li>\n<li>Align internal teams around partner expectations.<\/li>\n<li>Design more effective partner programs.<\/li>\n<li>Establish meaningful success measures.<\/li>\n<li>Scale ecosystem investments with greater consistency.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Most importantly, they create a shared understanding of how ecosystem partners contribute to business success.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Ready To Bring Clarity To Your Partner Ecosystem?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>B2B partner ecosystems are becoming more complex, not less. The future of partner ecosystem success requires creating greater clarity around partner value.<\/p>\n<p>Organizations that invest in defining partner business models will be better positioned to scale ecosystem growth, optimize partner investments, and adapt to a rapidly evolving partner landscape.<\/p>\n<p>To learn how leading organizations are defining partner types and documenting partner business models, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/defining-partner-types-and-partner-business-models\/RES171516\">read the report on Forrester.com<\/a> or schedule an <a href=\"mailto:inquiry@forrester.com\">inquiry or guidance session<\/a> to discuss your unique partner ecosystem.<\/p>\n",
            "category": [
                {
                    "term_id": 2104,
                    "name": "B2B Marketing",
                    "slug": "b2b-marketing",
                    "description": "B2B marketing is increasingly expected to deliver the level of experience buyers are used to having as consumers. Success depends on marketers adapting \u2014 and quickly. Explore our B2B marketing insights to stay ahead.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/b2b-marketing\/\">Discover how Forrester supports B2B marketing leaders.<\/a>",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/b2b-marketing\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 50704,
                    "name": "Channel Marketing",
                    "slug": "channel-marketing",
                    "description": "The mandate for channel marketing leaders has grown more complex in today's buyer-first climate. Alignment with and among suppliers and partners is key to providing the high-touch experience customers expect. Explore our insights to help build a sound channel marketing strategy that enhances partner and customer experience and demonstrates business value.\r\n\r\nDiscover how Forrester supports <a href=\"\/b2b-marketing\/\">B2B<\/a> and <a href=\"\/b2c-marketing\/\">B2C<\/a> marketing leaders.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/channel-marketing\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 2231,
                    "name": "Channel Partners",
                    "slug": "channel-partners",
                    "description": "Get insight on how to establish, maintain, and optimize channel partner relationships.\r\n\r\nDiscover how Forrester supports <a href=\"\/b2b-marketing\/\">B2B<\/a> and <a href=\"\/b2c-marketing\/\">B2C<\/a> marketing leaders.",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/channel-partners\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 51773,
                    "name": "Partner Ecosystem Marketing",
                    "slug": "partner-ecosystem-marketing",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/partner-ecosystem-marketing\/"
                },
                {
                    "term_id": 51774,
                    "name": "Partner Ecosystems",
                    "slug": "partner-ecosystems",
                    "description": "",
                    "permalink": "https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/blogs\/category\/partner-ecosystems\/"
                }
            ],
            "meta_title": "Understanding How Partners Create Value",
            "author": "Kathy Contreras"
        }
    ]
}