Gartner and the Magic Quadrant: A Guide for Buyers, Vendors, and Investors

What The Book Covers

If you want to get more out of your Gartner research subscription, this book is for you. Whether you are a software buyer, a large or small vendor, or are wondering how Gartner can help you make better investment decisions, this book will give you new insights to Gartner’s research. By studying the methodology behind such popular analytical tools as the Magic Quadrant, you will understand how a vendor earned its rating and whether or not the ratings are justified!

Starting with the history of Gartner and how it compares to other IT analyst firms, this book gives a realistic assessment of the value of Gartner research to a company. It provides ideas about other resources that could complement Gartner’s analysis. You will also have the tools to level the playing field between large, medium, and small vendors when using Gartner’s analysis in selecting software.

By reading this book, you will:

  • Evaluate whether or not a Gartner subscription is of value to your company
  • Adjust the Magic Quadrant to get a more realistic assessment of large and small vendors and their products
  • Increase the value of your interactions with Gartner analysts
  • Understand Gartner’s biases and how Gartner makes money, and how this impacts its research results
  • Appreciate the effects of cloud computing on Gartner, and why it matters to you
  • Choose consulting services with confidence
  • Assess the value of Gartner’s other analytical products to your business

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Chapters

  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: An Overview of Gartner
  • Chapter 3: How Gartner Makes Money
  • Chapter 4: Comparing Gartner to Consumer Reports, the RAND Corporation, and Academic Research
  • Chapter 5: The Magic Quadrant
  • Chapter 6: Other Analytical Products Offered by Gartner
  • Chapter 7: Gartner’s Future and CrowdSourcing
  • Chapter 8: Adjusting the Magic Quadrant
  • Chapter 9: Is Gartner Worth the Investment?

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

  • Books on Gartner and IT Analysts
  • My Background and the Book’s Focus and Scope
  • The Brightwork Research & Analysis Site Abbreviations

Chapter 2: An Overview of Gartner

  • Why Gartner Is So Important
  • Gartner’s Size and Scope
  • The Gartner Business Model
  • Gartner’s Network Effect
  • Gartner’s Value As a Social Network
  • Gartner As a Political Shield
  • Procurement Agency Issues
  • Gartner’s Elite Orientation
  • Gartner’s Sales Approach and Marketing Brilliance
  • The Nature of Gartner’s Writing and Reports
  • Gartner’s Varying Degrees of Disclosure
  • Gartner’s Interpretation, Estimation, and Presentation of Change
  • Gartner’s Large Vendor Orientation
  • Gartner’s IT Bias
  • Estimating Bargaining Position
  • A Touchstone of Perception
  • Conclusion

Chapter 3: How Gartner Makes Money

  • Public and Informed Opinion of Gartner’s Payment Relationship with Vendors
  • The Gartner Ombudsman
  • The PR Function of the Ombudsman
  • What the Ombudsman Means for Vendors
  • Conclusion

Chapter 4: Comparing Gartner to Consumer Reports, the RAND Corporation, and Academic Research

  • Gartner Versus Consumer Reports
  • Gartner Versus Consumer Reports on Funding from Rated Entities
  • Gartner Versus Consumer Reports on Vendor Use of Ratings
  • Gartner Versus Consumer Reports on Controlling for Sample Bias
  • Gartner Versus the RAND Corporation
  • Gartner Versus RAND on Referencing Past Work
  • Gartner Versus RAND on Transparency of Research Data
  • Gartner Versus RAND on the Use of Jargon
  • Gartner Versus RAND on the use of Graphical Elements
  • Gartner Versus RAND on the Tone
  • Gartner Versus Academic Research Standards
  • Gartner Versus the Academy on Peer Review
  • The Issue Gartner Would Face if its Research Peer-Reviewed
  • Gartner Versus the Academy on Publishing the Methodology
  • Does Gartner Publish Its Methodology?
  • How the Methodology Is Interpreted
  • The Gartner Supply Chain Top 25
  • Conclusion
  • The Scores
  • Reasons for Gartner’s Low Score
  • Profit or Nonprofit and Why It Matters for Research Quality

The Table of Contents is Continued at This Link

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Questions about the Book? 

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