Gartner Technology Choices: What’s the Big Secret?

It’s no secret that Gartner uses IT products and services, but we’ve long had a rule against the providers of those products and services promoting Gartner as a customer. Lately we’ve had a rash of requests from vendors to change that rule, or at least bend it. We’ve said no to all of these requests, for the simple reason that as a provider of IT research and advice, Gartner needs to maintain independence and objectivity in everything we do. This includes the IT purchasing choices we make as an organization. If the vendors  we buy products and services from were allowed to promote our relationship, Gartner could be perceived as favoring one vendor over another (as in, “Gartner chose it – they must think it’s the best”).
 
Just as Gartner recommends strongly against picking only vendors in the “leaders’ quadrant” in a Magic Quadrant, Gartner’s IT department uses this advice in all technology decisions and selects what fits Gartner’s specific requirements. But there’s a good chance you will never know whose product or service we’ve chosen.