Perhaps every software application from the era of punch cards to today's service-oriented architecture (SOA) started out with good intentions, but the road to cost over-runs is paved with good intentions.

Good intentions are no substitute for a long-term application strategy, according to R "Ray" Wang, principal analyst, Forrester Research, Inc. Before offering guidance on how to do it right, he offers a few application horror stories in "Why You Need a Long-Term Apps Strategy," which is the first in a series of upcoming Forrester reports on "Building A Long-Term Apps Strategy."