The recent release of the Gartner UC magic quadrant reminded me of how some IT decision makers fail to make proper use of the information. Although many consultants and analysts may disagree with various opinions and conclusions found in a Gartner report, generally they are well researched and the source data is accurate. The mistake made by otherwise smart readers is glancing at the quadrant chart and allowing a snapshot to guide procurement decisions.
Analysts are good at seeing the big picture, and we all connect the dots in different ways. As we know, UC continues to be a moving target, especially as both innovation and disruption continues to be driven from players outside the realm of who we usually talk about. For this post I'm going to link takeaways from three recent items, with my take on how UC looks poised for yet another 90 degree turn.
In this Industry Buzz podcast, Marty Parker leads a discussion about the recently released Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Communication.
The recent UCStrategies podcast published on August 27, 2013, focused on the Gartner Magic Quadrant for UC, and it is clear that the focus is more about the manufacturer and less about the VAR. In my opinion, selecting the right manufacturer is half the decision (including insight from Gartner); the other half is choosing the right VAR for your enterprise needs. This post should help you fill that gap.
When I was part of a vendor organization, the annual Gartner Magic Quadrant was a huge event. It was the opportunity to tout your rating or try to deflect your position (if you were not the top dog). The effort that went into painting a picture of the company to the Gartner team and the anticipation of what your outcome would be was an annual exercise that I am glad I do not have to participate in any longer. Now I get to look at the Magic Quadrant as one measure of the industry and the progress we are making.