Forrester Timeline
Over the past three decades, Forrester has grown into one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. Here are some significant milestones in the company’s history.
1983-07-01 00:00:00
FORRESTER FOUNDED
George Forrester Colony starts the eponymous company in the basement of his home in Cambridge, Mass.
1983-08-01 00:00:00
FIRST CLIENT
IBM signs on as Forrester’s first client. Big Blue remains a client today.
1987-01-01 00:00:00
BIG IDEAS
Forrester’s “Client/Server Computing” report predicts the fall of the mainframe and the rise of PC-based client/server computing systems.
1989-11-01 00:00:00
INFLUENCE
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs speak at Forrester’s annual conference in Boston. In 2018, Forrester will host 15 Forums on four continents.
1993-01-01 00:00:00
WHAT IT MEANS
Two Forrester reports jolt readers: “The New Public Internet” predicts that the Internet will become a household tool, while “Social Computing” forecasts the rise of empowered customers. At that year’s Forrester Forum, analyst Bill Bluestein proclaims, “Within five years, a barrage of new technologies will radically change your relationship with customers, product features and service delivery, and the structure of manufacturing, sales, service and distribution."
1996-11-01 00:00:00
IPO
Forrester’s initial public offering of 2.3 million shares.
1997-05-01 00:00:00
GOING GLOBAL
Forrester hosts its first conference in Europe. One year later, the company opens its first major European office in Amsterdam.
1997-12-01 00:00:00
DATA
Forrester fields the first Consumer Technographics survey in North America. Consumer Technographics is the longest-running and most comprehensive program examining how consumers consider, buy, and use technology. Only the U.S. Census Bureau surveys more consumer households on technology adoption and attitudes. In 2009, Forrester launched Business Technographics, which uses data-driven insights to understand the changing B2B tech buyer. In 2018, Forrester will survey 675,000 consumers and business leaders worldwide.
1999-11-01 00:00:00
EUROPEAN EXPANSION
Forrester acquires UK-based Fletcher Research, a leading Internet research firm, and opens its first UK office in London.
2000-04-01 00:00:00
THE BUBBLE BURSTS
The Forrester report “The Demise Of Dot-Com Retailers” foresees the impending dot-com crash. The report accurately predicts that many dot-coms are in weak positions and that many won’t survive the year.
2000-06-01 00:00:00
CONSULTING
Forrester launches its consulting practice, the most personalized way clients can apply Forrester’s deep body of research, data-driven insights, and best practices to their specific business challenges.
2000-07-01 00:00:00
MEDIA INFLUENCE
Forrester’s corporate TV studio opens at its Cambridge headquarters, giving broadcast outlets worldwide instant and easy access to the company’s analysts.
2000-10-01 00:00:00
GO WEST
Forrester opens its San Francisco office.
2001-05-01 00:00:00
THE INTERNET OF THINGS
The Forrester report “The X Internet” introduces the next phase of the Internet. The X stands for extended and executable. Long before we hear the phrase “There’s an app for that,” the report forecasts more intelligent software delivered to ubiquitous devices, connecting the Net to the physical world.
2001-09-01 00:00:00
TRYING TIMES
A dark period in Forrester’s history: In the span of just three months, company President Bill Bluestein passes away at the age of 44; the bursting of the dot-com bubble forces Forrester’s first-ever layoff; and the 9/11 terrorist attacks take place.
2002-04-01 00:00:00
BIG IDEAS
The Forrester report “Organic IT” provides an early glimpse into cloud computing. The report argues that future IT infrastructure will be built on cheap, redundant components that share and manage enterprise computing. “Organic IT will address companies’ desperate need to create greater business flexibility,” notes the report.
2002-07-01 00:00:00
CATCH THE WAVE
The first Forrester Wave™ report is published. The Forrester Wave is a rigorous vendor selection analysis based on a transparent methodology. In 2018, Forrester is scheduled to publish 130 Waves for marketing and technology leaders.
2002-08-01 00:00:00
ADVISING GOVERNMENTS
Forrester Chairman and CEO George Colony speaks at the White House.
2002-08-01 00:00:00
LEADERSHIP BOARDS
Forrester launches The CIO Group, the company’s first peer-networking offering. Forrester Leadership Boards provide senior marketing and technology executives with access to private peer networks and personalized advisory services.
2003-02-01 00:00:00
M&A
Forrester acquires Giga Information Group, the largest M&A deal in Forrester’s history.
2008-07-01 00:00:00
M&A
Forrester acquires Jupiter Research, bolstering the company’s offering for Marketing & Strategy professionals.
2010-06-01 00:00:00
NEW DIGS
Forrester opens newly refurbished offices in New York, San Francisco, and London.
2011-05-01 00:00:00
ASIA EXPANSION
Forrester acquires Singapore-based Springboard Research, significantly expanding Forrester’s presence in the Asia Pacific region.
2011-06-01 00:00:00
THE AGE OF THE CUSTOMER
The Forrester report “Competitive Strategy In The Age Of The Customer” states that we have entered a new era in business. Previous eras were defined by expertise in manufacturing, distribution, or information. In the age of the customer, however, “the only sustainable competitive advantage is knowledge of and engagement with customers.”
2011-08-01 00:00:00
GOING GREEN
Forrester christens its current corporate headquarters, an LEED Green-certified building at Cambridge Discovery Park. It’s Forrester’s seventh corporate headquarters in Cambridge. At 190,000 square feet and home to 600 Forrester employees, it’s a mere 2 miles, but light-years away, from George Colony’s first basement home office.
2012-08-01 00:00:00
FORRESTER BOOKS
Forrester publishes The Mobile Mind Shift, the latest in a series of books analyzing technology’s impact on business. Other Forrester books include: Now Or Never, How Companies Must Change to Win the Battle for Internet Consumers (1999), Groundswell, Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies (2008), Empowered, Unleash Your Employees, Energize Your Customers, Transform Your Business (2010), Outside In, The Power of Putting Customers at the Center of Your Business (2012), and Digital Disruption, Unleashing the Next Wave of Innovation (2013).
2014-08-01 00:00:00
MUSIC CITY
Forrester opens a new office in Nashville, TN. The city’s rich music history, respected academic institutions, and emerging tech scene make it a perfect match with Forrester’s culture.
2016-08-01 00:00:00
BEST PLACE TO WORK
For the second year in a row, Forrester is named one of the 100 Best Places To Work by Glassdoor. The recognition is based exclusively on employee ratings and reviews.
2018-08-01 00:00:00
M&A
Forrester acquires FeedbackNow and GlimpzIt. The acquisitions are part of the plan to build a real-time CX Cloud, integrating a range of inputs to help companies monitor and improve experience.
2018-11-27 00:00:00
M&A
Forrester joins forces with SiriusDecisions as the largest acquisition in company history. Together, we’ll deliver an innovative strategy and operations platform to help companies drive growth in a customer-led, disruption-rich market.