How to become a leader in the ranking of Gartner

Gartner again decides which players in the IT market deserve the title of the best. What is important when making a rating? How to get ahead of other market giants?

How Gartner Generates the Report

Founded by Gideon Gartner in 1979, the company is engaged in consulting and research exclusively in IT. The “magic quadrants”, reflecting the position of players on the market, are very popular. The rating indicates two linear scales - the completeness of vision (completeness of vision) and the ability to implement (ability to execute). Given these criteria, vendors are divided into four groups. It turns out that it is not enough for companies to state their merits, for example, by writing on the website about a wonderful new product. It is also necessary to prove its worth in the market, to demonstrate real completed projects. Product strategy, innovative approaches, targeting literacy also play a role.
Belonging to the group of "leaders", by definition, Gartner, indicates that the company has high profitability, demonstrates profit growth, is present in most major markets and offers advanced functionality, following the fundamental principles and new trends in the market. Gartner has an audience of millions of high-tech professionals, among whom there are hundreds of potential clients who listen carefully to the agency’s opinion. Information technology directors, executive directors, advisers and other key decision makers are used to relying on research reports. Getting into Gartner ratings is a cherished goal for market players who want to gain international recognition of their achievements and attract new customers.

A preliminary study by Gartner analysts begins 6-8 months before the publication of the final version. One of the main sources of information for the formation of quadrants are detailed client feedback on the results of implemented projects. Everything matters: whether the implemented system was effectively put into operation, whether the necessary functions were refined and whether advanced technologies were applied.
Companies implementing BSS / OSS systems assume greater responsibility, because custom processes directly affect the profit of the operator. The speed of filing new applications for connecting to the Internet, the accuracy of the cable infrastructure location, the availability of the engineer for going to the subscriber is one mistake in the system code and the customer gets a millionth loss. Moreover, in the implementation process, a completely new functionality appears, which the operator “forgot to mention right away.” And do not provide it on time - damage to the image of the company.
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The role of technology and innovation in the ranking

Today, operators are increasingly seeking to go beyond simple communications. Modern technological capabilities make it possible to make “smart” not only cars and houses, but also entire cities, opening up new sources of revenue for operators. To accomplish these tasks, operators are increasingly deploying solutions based on cloud technologies and SDN / NFV. Investment in the development, new strategic directions and in-depth expertise of the company are necessary for the customer to choose you.
There are several ways to advance in the market. The first way is to make long-term investments in the development of new technologies and increase employee competencies. The second is a partnership scheme, where a synergistic effect is used. Another one is the takeover of another company in order to use its design expertise. And it is better to combine all three options.
In our case, in the Gartner rankings, it was significant that Netcracker organized training centers around the world, expanded its development staff, and developed eight engineering directions, providing a solid base for implementing innovative solutions in the project. The company has created all the conditions for the development of professional skills of its employees: a corporate career development center, internal trainings on personal development and competence improvement, language courses. Our experts exchange experience, working directly on the client’s site. The United States, Australia, the principality of Andorra, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, Uruguay - not a complete list of countries where we have implemented solutions. In 2008, Netcracker merged with the Japanese corporation NEC and merged all of the software development assets for the telecommunications industry and the provision of professional business services. And in 2012, with the acquisition of Convergys, we strengthened our position in the client and revenue management software market.
The availability of full-fledged SDN / NFV-solutions, embedded analytics and support for innovative technologies such as M2M / IoT, VoLTE, played an important role in the company's entry into the most advanced positions of the Gartner rating. Providing opportunities to work with new types of partners, support for a variety of business models and forms of interaction are key factors that provide undeniable advantages over competitors.

A satisfied customer is the key to success.

“The client decides everything” - about this phrase all managers and businessmen are still arguing. Is it important to consider all the needs of the customer? In the market of operators and communication providers, this is of key importance. How quickly the Internet will come and connect, what speed it will have, how convenient it will be to change the tariff in your personal account - one mistake - the client will immediately go to another provider. That is why operators need intelligent systems to manage all service delivery processes. These systems are subject to the highest demands; software companies wishing to become leaders in this market must be able to not only meet but also exceed the expectations of operators.
One of the main strengths of Netcracker’s work is that we carry out the comprehensive implementation of all our projects: from developing the necessary functionality to commissioning, testing, consulting and technical support at all stages of working with the system. That is why we received extremely positive feedback from our customers, thanks to which in 2015 we took the lead in the ranking of two magic quadrants:

• “Operations Support Systems”, which include integrated solutions for resource accounting, order and catalog management, systems for providing and activating services to subscribers, and ensuring quality of service;
• “Integrated Revenue Management and Customer Relationship Management Systems” covering billing systems, payment and charging management, self-service and customer support systems, and analytics.

Full reports can be found at the links above.