Forrester CEO Discusses Policy ChangeForrester CEO Discusses Policy Change

A recent flap over two vendor-funded comparison studies has prompted Forrester Research to tighten its policies.

The studies included one funded by Microsoft that compared the cost of applications development on Linux, Java, and Microsoft platforms, and one funded by PeopleSoft Inc. on customer satisfaction.

Though Forrester will still conduct vendor-funded comparison studies, it will no longer do those studies if the contract includes publishing the findings. George Colony, Forrester's CEO and chairman of the board, posted a memo on Forrester's Web site stating that the firm has "taken immediate steps to tighten our internal process and clarify our integrity policy. As part of this clarification, the company will no longer accept projects that involve paid-for, publicized product comparisons."

The memo further states that publicizable, paid-for contracts presently in effect--which, like the Microsoft study, predate Forrester's acquisition of Giga Group last February--will not be renewed when they expire.

information news editor Beth Bacheldor spoke with Colony to discuss the policy change.

information: Why the change?

Colony: We really erred in letting Microsoft and PeopleSoft publish the findings. We do stand by the research of those studies, but it has always been the intention of our integrity policy not to allow publication of comparison research. The policy was a little unclear, so we've taken steps to clarify it.

information: What has been your clients' response since the new policy was announced?

Colony: We have a board of 10 clients, and we held a meeting last Friday (Oct. 3). They said they liked the fact that we clarified this. Forrester has always been an objective firm, and our clients like our independence and objectivity and believe that is part of our value proposition.

information: What does this policy change mean for IT buyers?

Colony: Most of our clients are IT buyers, so again, they're happy that we've clarified our integrity policy. Ninety-eight percent of all the research we do is syndicated research that Forrester pays for. There's only a very small percent of vendor-funded research, only 2%, that we do.