Global 2500s not ready for e-business: Forrester Research

The report "Internet Infrastructure for e-business", forecasts that by 2002, e-business will be built on a foundation of Internet resident external technology called exT, which will fundamentally alter how large firms procure technology, engage providers and implement business processes.

Enabled by the ubiquity of the Internet, open hosting centers and the emergence of standard software building blocks, exT will emerge.

Forrester defines exT as "network resident services, owned and operated by others which enable firms to participate in ebusiness networks".

ExT services will coalesce around a number of core services categories and will be delivered by a multitude of providers.

"The need for rapid innovation in an e-business network environment will force firms to adopt exT," said principal analyst, Brendan Hannigan. "Successful exT providers will become the nucleus of an infrastructure ecosystem on which e-business networks are built."

According to Hannigan, companies should:

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