Due to a recent court case brought by ZL Technologies against Gartner Group, our industry is once again debating the validity, influence and accuracy of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant (MQ) research.
Magic Quadrant for E-Mail Active Archiving
Regardless of what side of the argument you fall on, the Gartner MQ wields a tremendous influence over enterprise technology buyers. While no major enterprise-wide application or technology purchase, which can easily run into the millions of dollars, is made solely based on a Gartner report, many IT buyers use MQs to develop their vendor shortlists and to present findings to senior management.
Therefore, vendors covet mention and preferred placement in their respective MQs.
However, there’s more to garnering a positive review than just throwing money at an analyst firm including:
- Establishing a good relationship with the analysts who cover your space
- Providing access to your CEO and other top executives
- Opening up your technology roadmap and soliciting feedback
- Providing access to key customers
- Demonstrating a superior understanding of user requirements
- Developing relevant marketing messages and strong sales channels
- Delivering solid, innovative products and superior customer service
Not All Magic Quadrants Are Created Equal
The quality of the MQs drawn up by the scores of Gartner services has less to do with the formula or methodology and more to do with the rigor and effort of the hundreds of analysts who create them.
Some segments of the technology landscape fit the MQ formula more easily than others. For example, rating server hardware vendors is more straightforward than rating, say, a still-maturing software market segment. In the former, quantitative benchmarks are more easily acquired and a plethora of productivity and measurement tools are available. In the case of the latter (segments such as archiving or e-discovery solutions), new products or releases, acquisitions, mergers, regulations, requirements and other critical factors are changing the landscape for buyers on a weekly, if not daily basis.
Bottom Line
Magic Quadrants, along with its competitive derivatives will continue to live on in some fashion no matter how imperfect because, ultimately, they provide a useful shorthand tool for buyers, users, vendors, press and other members of the technology universe. However, a simple “rating” of a technology segment can never replace an informed decision that draws from many opinions, sources and viewpoints.
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