Forrester modeled a 207% three-year ROI for its composite organization, based on $5.45 million in present-value benefits and $1.78 million in present-value costs.
FORRESTER CONSULTING TOTAL ECONOMIC IMPACT™ STUDY
207% modeled ROI
The Total Economic Impact™ of Aqua Platform
In a study commissioned by Aqua, Forrester Consulting modeled a composite organization using Aqua Platform and calculated 207% ROI, $5.45 million in risk-adjusted present-value benefits, and $3.68 million in net present value over three years, with payback in less than six months.
The study was based on interviews with six representatives at organizations using Aqua Platform. The findings are modeled estimates for the composite organization, not guaranteed results for every organization.
Read the full study (PDF)
PDF • 29 pages • Published October 2023 • No form required
Key findings at a glance
Three-year, risk-adjusted results for Forrester’s composite organization.
| Metric | Modeled Result |
| Return on investment | 207% |
| Present-value benefits | $5.45 million |
| Present-value costs | $1.78 million |
| Net present value | $3.68 million |
| Payback period | Less than six months |
| Reduction in resource time spent detecting severe vulnerabilities | 90% |
On this page
- What did the Forrester TEI study find?
- How did Aqua affect vulnerability research and remediation?
- What additional benefits did customers report?
- What costs did the model include?
- How was the study conducted?
- Read the complete study
- Frequently asked questions
What did the Forrester TEI study find?
Forrester’s three-year financial model calculated $5.45 million in risk-adjusted present-value benefits against $1.78 million in present-value costs. The difference produced $3.68 million in net present value and 207% ROI, with payback in less than six months.
The modeled value came from four areas:
| Benefit category | Three-year present value | How value was modeled |
| Vulnerability research and remediation efficiencies | $1.96 million | Less resource time spent finding, investigating, and remediating severe vulnerabilities |
| Improved risk and regulatory compliance | $1.75 million | Reduced modeled exposure to breach-related remediation, customer, regulatory, brand, and productivity costs |
| Business acceleration | $1.57 million | Reduced loss of business tied to security requirements and value associated with faster functionality releases |
| Operational and reporting efficiencies | $175,097 | Reduced testing effort and faster audit-report preparation |
| Total benefits | $5.45 million | Risk-adjusted present value over three years |
How did Aqua Platform affect vulnerability research and remediation?
For the composite organization, Forrester modeled a 90% reduction in resource time spent detecting severe vulnerabilities. Vulnerability research and remediation efficiencies represented $1.96 million in risk-adjusted present value over three years.
In the model, investigation time per severe vulnerability declined:
- From 80 hours to 8 hours in Year 1
- From 60 hours to 6 hours in Year 2
- From 20 hours to 2 hours in Year 3
Earlier visibility also allowed the security team to address severe vulnerabilities before remediation became more extensive and redirect time toward higher-priority work.
How was the study conducted?
Forrester Consulting interviewed six representatives from organizations using Aqua Platform. The interviewees represented technology, consumer goods, banking and financial services, government, and health insurance organizations.
Forrester aggregated their experiences into a composite organization with:
- 5,000 employees
- $5 billion in annual revenue
- Global operations and North American headquarters
- An on-premises migration or hybrid environment
- A move to fully SaaS use of Aqua Platform after 18 months
- Growth from 80 covered nodes in Year 1 to 100 in Year 3
Forrester then created a three-year financial model covering benefits, costs, flexibility, and risk. Quantified benefits were adjusted downward and costs upward to account for uncertainty.
Aqua commissioned the study, provided the customer names, and reviewed the report. Aqua did not participate in the customer interviews, and Forrester maintained editorial control over the findings.
What costs did the study include?
Forrester included $1.78 million in risk-adjusted present-value costs over three years. The model covered implementation, software licensing, premium support, platform management, and resources used to investigate and remediate additional lower-severity vulnerabilities made visible by Aqua.
| Cost category | Three-year present value |
| Ongoing platform management | $1.02 million |
| Aqua Platform software licenses | $505,870 |
| Implementation | $252,000 |
| Total costs | $1.78 million |
The composite implementation took just over 12 weeks. The license model assumed premium support and growth from 80 covered nodes in Year 1 to 100 in Year 3.
These figures reflect assumptions used in the October 2023 study and should not be interpreted as current Aqua pricing.
What additional benefits did customers report?
Interviewees described several benefits that Forrester did not assign a financial value to:
- Improved service delivery and quality
- Greater business and board confidence in the organization’s security posture
- Better collaboration between security, development, IT, and business teams
- More proactive security practices among engineers and developers
- Greater operational agility and scalability
- Faster application and functionality deployment
- More time available for higher-priority work
Read the complete Forrester study
The Total Economic Impact™ of Aqua Platform
Read the full analysis for the customer evidence, composite assumptions, financial model, benefit and cost calculations, methodology, and risk adjustments behind the findings.
Format: PDF
Length: 29 pages
Published: October 2023
Research provider: Forrester Consulting
Commissioned by: Aqua Security
Read the full study (PDF)
No form required.
Frequently asked questions
What ROI did Forrester model for the Aqua Platform?
How quickly did the investment pay back?
Forrester calculated a payback period of less than six months for the composite organization.
Are the 207% ROI and $3.68 million NPV guaranteed?
No. They are risk-adjusted estimates for Forrester’s composite organization. Forrester recommends that organizations apply their own costs, environment, deployment requirements, and assumptions.
What is a Forrester Total Economic Impact study?
Total Economic Impact is Forrester’s methodology for examining the benefits, costs, flexibility, and risks associated with a technology investment.
Is the complete report available without registration?
Yes. Visitors can open the complete PDF directly without submitting a form.