Forterro CEO Says AI Fears in the Software Industry Are Overblown

Forterro CEO Dean Forbes believes fears about AI's impact on the enterprise software market are greatly exaggerated. In his view, for sector players like Forterro the new technology wave is less a threat than a chance to strengthen the product and make the business more efficient.

Why panic doesn't work

Forterro works in industrial software, a segment where polished demos alone are no longer enough. Customers need systems that support production, procurement, warehouses, financial processes and long approval chains. So the idea that AI will quickly "sweep away" established vendors looks too simplistic for this market.

Forbes says change in software is indeed under way, but treating it only as disruption is a mistake. For companies with a stable customer base and a clear specialization, it is a window for growth, not a signal to surrender.

"This is an opportunity for companies like Forterro."

The logic is simple: in industrial software, value comes not only from code but also from domain knowledge. Even if AI speeds up development, it does not remove the requirements for integration, reliability, maintenance and an understanding of specific industry scenarios. Customers still expect the supplier to take responsibility for the outcome, not merely to provide access to a model. So the winners will not be those who talk loudest about AI, but those who can build it into processes that already work, without putting the customer's business at risk.

Where AI delivers value

Forbes sees the shift in the industry as a practical opportunity to improve the product itself and the company's internal economics. For enterprise software vendors, AI can become a tool that speeds up teams and brings the service closer to the user. It is not only about code generation but also about new ways of working inside existing platforms: from analytics and suggestions to automating routine operations. In this context AI is not a replacement for the entire stack but a layer that raises the productivity and value of software that is already deployed.

• Faster development and testing of new modules
• Smarter customer support through built-in assistants
• Automation of reporting, bug detection and data work
• Personalized prompts for shop-floor and back-office staff

For companies like Forterro it is also a way to widen the conversation with existing customers. When a vendor already has access to the customer's business processes, it can do more than bolt on a trendy AI layer: it can offer concrete improvements, such as training staff faster, helping with planning, cutting time spent on manual operations and raising decision quality. This approach reduces the risk of empty hype, because AI is judged not as an abstract revolution but as a measurable function inside the working loop.

Geopolitics and budgets

In the conversation Forbes touched on more than AI, also addressing the wider backdrop that affects enterprise demand. Geopolitical uncertainty makes companies more cautious: purchasing decisions can take longer, budgets are revised more often, and requirements for supplier resilience become stricter. For B2B vendors this means that even a strong technology agenda does not remove the old questions about security, localization, support and a partner's predictability over the long term.

Against this backdrop, it is especially clear why the thesis of the "end" of traditional software companies sounds too loud. Businesses rarely replace mission-critical systems because of a single trend, even one that seems fundamental. Far more often customers choose a more cautious path: they test AI in targeted spots, run the numbers, weigh the risks and only then scale new features. So the near-term winners of this wave are not the noisiest players but those who can combine innovation with operational discipline.

What this means

The Forterro chief's words capture the current mood of the mature B2B market well: AI is already changing the rules of the game, but it does not necessarily wipe out incumbents. For industrial and sector vendors it is a chance to repackage their expertise, build new tools into the product and earn money from customers' move to smarter automation.