Frequently Asked Questions

Ability to execute

Gartner Magic
Quadrant

Challengers

Leaders

Niche Players

Visionaries

Completeness of vision

Q.	What is the internal approval process for a new
Gartner Magic Quadrant?

Q.	What is the process for an annual update to a previously
published Gartner Magic Quadrant?

A.	
If an analyst wants to create a new Magic Quadrant, he or she
proposes the research as part of a specific research agenda.

A. To ensure a current reflection of market conditions, an analyst
proposes updating the Magic Quadrant as part of the agenda
planning for the upcoming year for a specific research key
initiative. The update will include changes from the previous
year to refine the market definition, vendor inclusion criteria
and evaluation criteria, if required. The proposal must be
accepted by the relevant content leader and team manager
and the analyst’s team manager. No change is needed to thelist on gartner.com, unless the update falls beyond the oneyear anniversary of the document, the target publication dateis updated or the name of the Magic Quadrant is updated. If
the proposed new market definition, vendor inclusion criteria
and evaluation criteria vary beyond the normal evolution of
the market, the process for creating a new Magic Quadrant
for a new market is followed and the existing Magic Quadrant
follows the retirement process.

The proposal includes:• The market definition• Draft inclusion criteria• Draft evaluation criteria• Project team and time involved
The proposal goes through several internal levels of review,
ending with the Content Leadership Board, to ensure that welook across research agendas when we define a new market.
Once approved, the new Magic Quadrant is added to the
Publication Calendar available on the Magic Quadrant andCritical Capabilities page on gartner.com. Magic Quadrants
are reviewed annually, and the title of the Magic Quadrant,along with its refresh date, is noted on the planned research
list on gartner.com.
Q.	How does a vendor get included in a Magic Quadrant?
A.	Providers are included in a Magic Quadrant if they meet its
inclusion criteria, which are defined by Gartner analysts. We
always recommend that providers start the evaluation process
via a Vendor Briefing. Information on how to submit a briefing
request can be found here. Providing a Vendor Briefing does
not guarantee or increase the likelihood of inclusion; it is achance to educate analysts on your organization’s capabilities
and successes. If the team believes your organization
potentially meets the Magic Quadrant inclusion criteria, they
will reach out when the research process begins. This will befollowed by a review process to determine whether you meetthe criteria. Read more about How Markets and Vendors Are
Evaluated in Magic Quadrants and view upcoming researchon the Publication Calendar.

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Q.	How do you consolidate two or more previously
published Gartner Magic Quadrants?
A. Analysts who want to consolidate two or more Magic
Quadrants are asked to retire the existing research documents
and create a proposal for a new one. The proposal process isroughly the same. The new market definition explains why themarkets will be consolidated.
The Magic Quadrants to be replaced are retired (archived)
12 months from the publish date. The Publication Calendar on
gartner.com will show “retired” for the previously publisheddocuments. The consolidated Magic Quadrant is considered
new research and listed as “new” research in the Publication
Calendar on gartner.com.

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Q.	What is the process for retiring a previously published
Gartner Magic Quadrant? Why would that happen?

Q.	Are vendors contacted if they are dropped froma Gartner Magic Quadrant when it is updated?

A.	
Retirement of a Gartner Magic Quadrant follows a clearly
defined process. The analyst and relevant key content leader
review whether a Magic Quadrant should be retired. Retirement
can be based on several factors, such as research showing adecreased client interest in the overall market, changes thathave occurred in the overall market, and so on. If the decision ismade to retire the research, the “Refresh Date” field on gartner.
com will say “retired,” and the document will be archived a year
after its publication date. The lead author will notify all vendorsthat participated in the now-retired Magic Quadrant that it will
no longer be published.

A. Yes, vendors are notified in advance of publication that they
will not be represented in the updated research, along withan explanation of why they will not be included. The publisheddocument will note that the vendor has been dropped andinclude a brief explanation of why that vendor no longer
meets the inclusion criteria.

Q.	Why doesn’t Gartner share specific rating resultsof vendors?
A. Magic Quadrant analysts collaborate to evaluate and rateeach vendor against each of the weighted criteria that aredescribed within the methodology. The resulting scores areused to generate a Magic Quadrant position rating. Gartner
does not provide specific scores because scores are basedon not just quantitative elements, but qualitative as well, sothey are not strictly mathematical calculations. A vendor
might earn a relatively high score in Product/Service because
the quality, uniqueness and integration of its product/service
elements are higher than other vendors’, even if it lacks someof the features of other vendors. In other words, scores arecomparative to the other vendors in the MQ and are not areflection solely of that one vendor's capabilities. Generally,
the rationale behind scoring is explained in the Evaluation
Criteria section of the document. The strengths and cautions
sections highlight key areas where a vendor scored particularlyhigh and low.
Q.	When and how are vendors contacted directly about a
Gartner Magic Quadrant?
A. A project manager sends vendors an email letting themknow of the creation of a Magic Quadrant and requesting theappropriate contact to work with through the research process.
(If the analyst already knows the contact at a vendor, thisstep may not be necessary.) Once the contact is confirmed,
the project manager sends an email that explains the market
definition and inclusion criteria, and requests that the vendor
verify that they satisfy these criteria. Lastly, the analyst sends
an email that lists the previously verified inclusion criteria,
and explains the evaluation criteria and weights, research
process and timeline. For a new Magic Quadrant, this initial
vendor notification usually occurs 25-30 weeks before theplanned publication date. This time frame varies based on
project complexity. The timing is typically shorter for Magic
Quadrants that have been published more than once.

Q. Can a vendor “opt in” or “opt out” of a Gartner
Magic Quadrant?
A. Vendors are included in the research only if they meet themarket definition and inclusion criteria established by the
research team. If a vendor meets the inclusion criteria, ourprocess requires that it be represented in the Magic Quadrant.
If a vendor does not meet the criteria, it will not be included
as a participating vendor in the Magic Quadrant. Vendors
therefore cannot choose to either opt in or opt out. However,a vendor may choose not to participate in the process or
respond to Research requests for information, in whichcase the analysts will gather as much current informationas possible from publicly available sources to determine
inclusion and to evaluate the vendor. The vendor’s profile in
the published document will contain a disclaimer indicatingthat the vendor did not participate in the research process.
Q. Are analysts required to ask vendors for information
when creating a Gartner Magic Quadrant project?
A. Analysts are not required to solicit information fromvendors when creating a Magic Quadrant. The researchteam determines whether they have sufficient information
through regular contact with vendors and customers inthat market to develop the document without this input.
Analysts may request information from vendors in the formof a questionnaire or a request for a briefing or a productdemo; often, the content from these requests is used
for other research deliverables in addition to the Magic
Quadrant. Also, if the vendors supply excessive information,
the analyst may choose to use only a limited subset.
Q.	Are analysts limited in the number of questions they
can ask in their surveys?
A. No. Analysts are not restricted in the number of questions
they can ask in their surveys, but there is suggested guidance
that they keep the questions to a minimum and only ask
for details that will help to fill in the gaps. An analyst may
gather response data for use in the Magic Quadrant as
part of a larger surveying exercise intended for use inmultiple deliverables.

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Gartner Magic Quadrant — Frequently asked questions

Q.	If an analyst does not require specific input fromvendors, when are vendors notified that they will be
represented in a Gartner Magic Quadrant report?
A. Vendors that meet the inclusion criteria and market
definition are notified at the beginning of a Magic Quadrant
project. A project manager sends all included vendors anemail notifying them of their inclusion. The email includes
the market definition, inclusion criteria, evaluation criteria,
weightings for each criterion and expected publish date of
the research.
Vendors are also sent a copy of the draft content
relevant to their company and are asked to check it toensure accuracy prior to publication; they are given fivebusiness days for this factual review. The review is not an
opportunity for the vendor to disagree about placement
within a quadrant. Vendor responses back to the analyst
need to be in writing. Analysts are encouraged to notify
vendors once they have a sense of the approximate datethat the draft will be sent for factual review.
Q.	What happens if a vendor declines to provide
information requested by the analyst?
A. Analysts work with the information available to them fromother sources, including publicly available information,
feedback from end-user customers (such as Gartner Peer
Insights) and industry contacts. The draft Magic Quadrant
graphic, along with specific content related to that vendor,
is still sent for factual review, following the standard process.
A disclaimer is also added to the document:<Vendor X> did not respond to requests for supplemental
information and/or to review the draft contents of thisdocument. The Gartner analysis is therefore based onother credible sources, including (insert any sources that
apply, such as the following):• Public information• <Y> discussions with users of this productVendor nonparticipation has no bearing on the vendor’s
inclusion in the document or in how it is evaluated — that isdetermined by the inclusion criteria, evaluation criteria andanalysis alone.
Q.	Will vendors be required to submit customer references
for the Magic Quadrant and Critical Capabilities authors
to survey?
A. Authors of a Magic Quadrant and/or Critical Capabilities
will not ask vendors to provide customer reference names.
In select circumstances, primarily for the expansionof Gartner research coverage into new markets, they
may request customer references to support a one-3

© 2021 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. RO_1238439

time survey effort. NOTE: This one-time survey will not
replace the Gartner Peer Insights reviews but rather will
supplement them. In all cases, vendors can encourage
their customers to submit feedback for their product/
service through Gartner Peer Insights. Vendors cancontact peerinsightsvendorsuccess@gartner.com for
more information about sourcing reviews effectively.
Gartner Peer Insights represents one source of customer
input among others that the authors may use to support
Magic Quadrant and Critical Capabilities creation. While
end-user feedback is important, it is only one aspect in anarea of criteria that are considered. As always, Gartner
may consider other sources of customer input informationsuch as analysts’ inquiries with Gartner end-user clientsand primary research survey results. Providers are notnegatively impacted for a lack of reviews provided as partof the Magic Quadrant and Critical Capabilities evaluation,
nor are they scored higher for providing more reviews.
Q. When do customer reviews need to be submitted toGartner Peer Insights for the analysts to consider themas part of the Magic Quadrant process?
A. Analysts leverage relevant Gartner Peer Insights reviews thatwere submitted prior to the end of the Magic Quadrant datasubmission period, which is the date of the RFI input deadline
as stated in the Welcome Packet. Note that submitting areview to Gartner Peer Insights isn`t an ask of Magic Quadrant
and Critical Capabilities authors. Gartner Peer Insights is notintended to be a one-to-one replacement for carefully curated
references that vendors (and analysts) want to guide throughthe process. Gartner Peer Insights is the platform Gartner uses
to capture anonymous enterprise reviews. It has guidelines
and processes in place to ensure its position as a neutral,
objective web platform.
Q. Can you clarify the time frame on which analysts will bepulling and reviewing Gartner Peer Insights reviews?
Will they be looking at the past 6 months or 12 months?
Do you have any standard guidance for this?
A. Analysts follow Gartner's methodological guidelines, which
instruct them to utilize Gartner Peer Insights reviews that are
sufficiently current and relevant based on trends in the market
they are evaluating. So it isn't a defined amount of time, but
a method for ensuring the analysts are only looking at themost relevant reviews and information. If it is a high-growthmarket with lots of movement, then analysts might use data
provided within the past six months only. If it is a maturingmarket, then looking at data within the past 12 months might
be appropriate.
(Continued on next page)Gartner Magic Quadrant — Frequently asked questions

Q.	We have customer references lined up to talk to Gartner.
What shall we do?
A. Do not send customer names to the Magic Quadrant andCritical Capabilities project manager, unless requested
to support a one-time survey for a new Magic Quadrant.
Instead, direct them to Gartner Peer Insights to submit
their feedback for your product/service. Consider creating
review sourcing links as a way to strategically reach out
to your known customers and provide them the moststraightforward way to leave a review. For more information,
contact peerinsightsvendorsuccess@gartner.com. Gartner
Peer Insights represents one source of customer input
among others that authors may use to support their Magic
Quadrant and Critical Capabilities creation.
Q. Are there particular customer profiles that Gartner
is most interested in to support the creation of Magic
Quadrant and Critical Capabilities reports?
A. The analysts may use input from any customers using the
product evaluated in their Magic Quadrant and Critical
Capabilities reports. Gartner Peer Insights employs a rigorous
validation process to ensure that reviews are factual andrelevant to the market and vendor being evaluated; therefore,
we consider feedback from all customers to be informative.
Q.	Can you clarify how many references you require for
us to submit on Gartner Peer Insights?
A. Gartner does not require any specific number of references.
More reviews provide clients with a range of insight; therefore,
we do encourage vendors to ask their clients to provide
feedback on Gartner Peer Insights, but it is not a requirement.
We are more concerned with having high-quality, informative
reviews that are of great value to clients than we are of thenumber of reviews. Providers are not negatively impacted
for a lack of reviews provided as part of the Magic Quadrant
evaluation, nor are they scored higher for providing morereviews. Finally, all Peer Insights reviews are informative, andonly one source among many others that analysts consider.
Q. Will Gartner Peer Insights reviews gain more weightin determining scoring in the absence of customer
reference submissions?
A. Gartner Peer Insights will not carry more weight; it already plays
a role in validating other customer inputs and will continue todo so. It is one of many data sources we may use, along with
Gartner clients` interactions, publicly available information,
providers’ input to Gartner questionnaires, briefings, otherGartner research and analyst knowledge. Customer reference
survey feedback is also useful in gathering specific customer
input, but it is a limited dataset on its own. Even without it, theMagic Quadrant team has sufficient information to support
analyst opinions and form an accurate assessment of eachvendor’s comparative capabilities.

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Q. A number of the customers I lined up to submit reviews
on Peer Insights for an upcoming Magic Quadrant were
rejected. How can I get clarity on my customers’ review
submission status so that I can properly guide themshould they receive a request for additional information?
A. Gartner is very careful to shield the identity and ensure
the anonymity of our reviewers to encourage them toprovide honest reviews. Individual reviewers can contact
peerinsights@gartner.com to work directly with Gartner
Peer Insights to complete their reviews. We do not reveal
either the reviewer’s full identity or their organization's nameon our website. We only have the reviewer's permission to
publish or share the following with the review: reviewer role,industry, title and company size. Gartner Peer Insights is nota one-to-one replacement for carefully curated referencesthat vendors (and analysts) want to hand-hold through theprocess. Gartner Peer Insight is the platform Gartner uses tocapture anonymous enterprise reviews. It has guidelines andprocesses in place to ensure its position as a neutral, objective
web platform that is business and legally compliant in thatspace. All reviews go through a strict moderation process,and the reasons for rejections vary. In some cases, reviewers
may have not completed validation of their identity but inothers, the reviews are generic in content and do not meetour guidelines for publication. Vendors can read more on thereview content requirements in the Peer Insights Community
Guidelines. Also, although Gartner cannot discuss review
status and reviewer details with vendors, vendors can accessa report on the Gartner Peer Insights portal for vendorsthat provides visibility on overall rejection, not individual
rejections. For help accessing this report, please contact
peerinsightsvendorsuccess@gartner.com.
Q. What are the legal terms and usage rights for the
information that Gartner obtains from vendors?
A. Gartner is dedicated to the right of your privacy anddata security. All information you provide will be used forresearch purposes only. The information you provide may
be referenced in Gartner research deliverables (including
reports, client inquiry and presentations.) Please refer tothe Gartner Privacy Policy for more information, and also
the Gartner Code of Conduct and Gartner Vendor Briefing
guidance.
(Continued on next page)Gartner Magic Quadrant — Frequently asked questions

Q.	What opportunity do vendors have to review the Gartner
Magic Quadrant before it is published?

Q. What is Gartner Magic Quadrant contextualization,
and where can I find it?

A. Vendors are given five business days to review relevant draft
content, including the complete graphic (for example, withall named “dots” in the Magic Quadrant) and vendor-specificcommentary for factual accuracy. If a Magic Quadrant
contextualization is created, vendors will be given theopportunity to review the vendor-related content for factual
accuracy. In most cases this will occur at the same timeas the full Magic Quadrant review process, but in someinstances it could be separate.

A. Magic Quadrant contextualization is an additional perspective
added to a Magic Quadrant for a specific industry, company
size or geography where market differences that affectstrategic planning or technology investment decisions
could exist. For each context, analysis is added that provides
market differentiators, considerations for selecting a service
provider and a list of notable vendors. There are no ratingsor comparative analysis provided for the notable vendors.

Vendors review the published Magic Quadrant image only.
Client-generated views of the interactive Gartner Magic
Quadrant are not relevant to the review process and are
not included.

A Magic Quadrant context analysis can be found on theInteractive Magic Quadrant in the top right of the pageunder the heading “Additional Perspectives” or at the endof the full document when viewed either as a PDF or in theHTML version.

Q.	Is the data collection and review process the samefor all vendors, even if they are not Gartner clients?

Q.	How do you decide if Gartner Magic Quadrant context
will be added to a market?

A. Yes, it is exactly the same. Client status has no bearing on
our research processes.

A. This decision is based on whether or not market differences
exist that could significantly affect decision making for a
specific industry, company size or geography.

Q. What if a participating vendor disagrees with its positionor the analyst’s comments?
A. The first point of escalation is the analyst who created theresearch being questioned. Vendors should approach analysts
with issues regarding facts, processes, methodologies or
opinions expressed in research. The second point of escalationis the analyst’s manager, whose role is to verify that all required
methodologies and processes were followed by the analyst(s)and that all Research positions have been appropriately
supported. The third is the Office of the Ombuds.
Q. Is there any attempt to coordinate the timing for a
Gartner Magic Quadrant in related topic areas?
A. No, because of the breadth of coverage of the various
topic areas and complexity of the underlying markets, it is
not possible to coordinate the related topics between theanalysts who cover these areas and their other commitments.
However, information gathered during the preparation of a
Magic Quadrant is often shared across related topic areas.

5© 2021 Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. RO_1238439

Q.	Where can I find more information about the Gartner
Magic Quadrant and other Gartner methodologies ongartner.com?
A. For more details about methodologies, go to the Magic
Quadrant methodology page. Additional information and
FAQs about the interactive Magic Quadrant features areavailable on the Interactive Magic Quadrant With Peer
Insights User Reviews.
Q. What do I do if I want to excerpt research or buy
reprints of it?
A. To excerpt research, email quote.requests@gartner.com,
call +1 203 316 6178 or access the Copyright and Quote
Policy on gartner.com. To purchase reprints, contact
reprints@gartner.com.