Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup/Recovery
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Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup/Recovery Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup/Recovery 28 January 2011 Dave Russell, Sheila Childs, Alan Dayley Gartner RAS Core Research Note G00209399 While backup is among the oldest, most performed tasks in the data center, the industry is undergoing significant change as organizations accelerate new technology adoption and show a propensity to implement new solutions, in some cases from vendors that are emerging or new to the backup market. What You Need to Know Strategic Planning Assumption(s) By 2014, at least 30% of organizations will This research is the inaugural version of a new Magic Quadrant that looks have changed backup vendors due to beyond enterprise software-only backup vendors and their solutions, and frustration over cost, complexity and/or places a new emphasis on evaluating a broader set of vendors that offers capability. disk-based data capture and data recovery capabilities. By 2014, 80% of the market will choose advanced, disk-based appliances and Backup and recovery is one of the oldest and most frequently performed backup software-only solutions over operations in the data center. Despite the long timeline associated with distributed VTLs. backup, the practice has seen a number of changes (such as new recovery By 2014, deduplication will cease to be techniques and a new, expanded set of vendors to consider) and challenges available as a stand-alone; rather, it will (such as how to protect server virtualized environments, very large become a feature of broader data storage databases, remote offices, and desktops and laptops) in recent years. and data management solutions. Gartner end-user inquiry call volume regarding backup continues to be high Vendors Added or Dropped every year, and has been rising at about 20% each year for the past three years. Organizations worldwide are seeking ways to easily, quickly and We review and adjust our inclusion criteria for Magic Quadrants and MarketScopes as cost-effectively ensure that their data is appropriately protected. markets change. As a result of these Organizations are also voicing the opinion that backup needs to improve a adjustments, the mix of vendors in any lot, not just a little. For more research on current backup/recovery Magic Quadrant or MarketScope may challenges, and practical advice on how to address them, see "Best change over time. A vendor appearing in a Magic Quadrant or MarketScope one year Practices for Addressing the Broken State of Backup" and "Backup and and not the next does not necessarily Recovery Optimization and Cost Avoidance." indicate that we have changed our opinion of that vendor. This may be a reflection of The rising frustration with backup implies that the data protection a change in the market and, therefore, approaches of the past may no longer suffice in meeting current, much less changed evaluation criteria, or a change of focus by a vendor. future, recovery requirements. As such, companies are willing to adopt new technologies and products from new vendors, and have shown an increased Evaluation Criteria Definitions willingness to switch backup/recovery providers in order to better meet Ability to Execute their increasing service levels. Product/Service: Core goods and services The 2009 trends of incorporating more disk in the recovery process, offered by the vendor that compete in/serve the defined market. This includes deploying data deduplication and "treating disk as disk," versus seeking current product/service capabilities, quality, appliances with a virtual tape library (VTL) interface, not only continued but feature sets and skills, whether offered file:///C|/...ttings/Temporary Internet Files/Content.Outlook/NLAROJ5J/Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup-Recovery.htm[02/09/2011 11:03:26 AM] Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup/Recovery accelerated in 2010. For a deeper treatment on each of these topics, see: natively or through OEM agreements/partnerships as defined in the "Poll Shows Disk-Based Backup on the Rise, With a Few Surprises" market definition and detailed in the subcriteria. "Data Deduplication Will Be Even Bigger in 2010" Overall Viability (Business Unit, Financial, Strategy, Organization): "Interest Declines for Use of the Distributed Virtual Tape Library Viability includes an assessment of the Interface" overall organization's financial health, the financial and practical success of the business unit, and the likelihood that the "Predicts 2011: Improved Recoverability May Be on the Horizon, but individual business unit will continue Significant Challenges Remain" investing in the product, will continue offering the product and will advance the In 2010, we saw a trend toward increasing consideration of a cloud-based state of the art within the organization's recovery implementation. In selected cases, large-enterprise server data is portfolio of products. being moved to a cloud-based backup/recovery solution, but the Sales Execution/Pricing: The vendor's predominant amount of interest has been for midsize enterprise servers and capabilities in all presales activities and the branch-office and desktop/laptop data; in the large enterprise, the most structure that supports them. This includes deal management, pricing and negotiation, common implementations have been for remote-office and desktop/laptop presales support and the overall data. Gartner worldwide survey data suggests that, in future years, cloud- effectiveness of the sales channel. based recovery solutions will increasingly be evaluated by organizations of Market Responsiveness and Track all sizes. Record: Ability to respond, change direction, be flexible and achieve Return to Top competitive success as opportunities develop, competitors act, customer needs evolve and market dynamics change. This criterion also considers the vendor's history Magic Quadrant of responsiveness. Marketing Execution: The clarity, quality, creativity and efficacy of programs designed Figure 1. Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup/Recovery to deliver the organization's message to influence the market, promote the brand and business, increase awareness of the products, and establish a positive identification with the product/brand and organization in the minds of buyers. This "mind share" can be driven by a combination of publicity, promotional initiatives, thought leadership, word-of- mouth and sales activities. Customer Experience: Relationships, products and services/programs that enable clients to be successful with the products evaluated. Specifically, this includes the ways customers receive technical support or account support. This can also include ancillary tools, customer support programs (and the quality thereof), availability of user groups, service-level agreements and so on. Operations: The ability of the organization to meet its goals and commitments. Factors include the quality of the organizational structure, including skills, experiences, programs, systems and other vehicles that enable the organization to operate effectively and efficiently on an ongoing basis. Completeness of Vision Market Understanding: Ability of the vendor to understand buyers' wants and Source: Gartner (January 2011) needs and to translate those into products and services. Vendors that show the highest Return to Top degree of vision listen to and understand buyers' wants and needs, and can shape or enhance those with their added vision. Gartner's view regarding vendor placement is heavily influenced by more Marketing Strategy: A clear, differentiated than 2,000 conversations over the past two years with Gartner clients on set of messages consistently communicated throughout the organization and the topic of backup and recovery. In addition, the Magic Quadrant externalized through the website, methodology includes a comprehensive vendor survey (typically resulting in advertising, customer programs and a five- to eight-page response), in-depth vendor briefings regarding positioning statements. file:///C|/...ttings/Temporary Internet Files/Content.Outlook/NLAROJ5J/Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup-Recovery.htm[02/09/2011 11:03:26 AM] Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup/Recovery product, portfolio, strategy and messaging, and the solicitation of three or Sales Strategy: The strategy for selling more references from each vendor. From these many data sources, we products that uses the appropriate network learn how customers are using and how prospects could potentially use the of direct and indirect sales, marketing, product, and the strengths and cautions of the solution and vendor. We service and communication affiliates that extend the scope and depth of market also learn about experiences with sales and support, acquisition and reach, skills, expertise, technologies, maintenance pricing, and their opinions on vendor responsiveness to services and the customer base. aspects like requests for enhancements. Prior to publication, each vendor Offering (Product) Strategy: The vendor's has the opportunity to review its placement on the Magic Quadrant and the approach to product development and strengths and challenges listed, and to respond to any factual delivery that emphasizes differentiation, discrepancies. functionality, methodology and feature sets as they map to current and future It is important to remember that the Magic Quadrant does not only rate requirements. product quality or capabilities and features. A Magic Quadrant is not about Business