Magic Quadrant For Client Management Tools

10/4/2015
MagicQuadrantforClientManagementTools
MagicQuadrantforClientManagement
Tools
11June2015ID:G00264801
Analyst(s):KevinKnox,TerrenceCosgrove
VIEWSUMMARY
Despitebeingarelativelymaturetechnology,newproductcapabilitiesanddivergingvendorstrategies
makeselectingaclientmanagementtoolvendoraschallengingaseverforendusercomputingand
supportmanagers.
MarketDefinition/Description
Endusercomputingandsupportorganizationsuseclientmanagementtools(CMTs)toautomatesystem
administrationandsupportfunctionsthatwouldotherwisebehandledmanually.CMTimageclient
systems,trackinventory,deployconfigurationchanges(suchassoftwareorpatches),enforce
configurationstandardsandassistwithtroubleshooting.WindowsPCsaretheprimaryobjectof
management,butorganizationsoftenextendtheseproductstomanageMacsandevenservers.
Enterprisemobilitymanagement(EMM)isstillaseparatemarket,butorganizationsincreasinglylookfora
singlevendorandmanagementplatformtosupportPCs,Macsandmobiledevices.
MagicQuadrant
Figure1.MagicQuadrantforClientManagementTools
EVALUATIONCRITERIADEFINITIONS
AbilitytoExecute
Product/Service:Coregoodsandservicesofferedby
thevendorforthedefinedmarket.Thisincludes
currentproduct/servicecapabilities,quality,feature
sets,skillsandsoon,whetherofferednativelyor
throughOEMagreements/partnershipsasdefinedin
themarketdefinitionanddetailedinthesubcriteria.
OverallViability:Viabilityincludesanassessmentof
theoverallorganization'sfinancialhealth,thefinancial
andpracticalsuccessofthebusinessunit,andthe
likelihoodthattheindividualbusinessunitwillcontinue
investingintheproduct,willcontinueofferingthe
productandwilladvancethestateoftheartwithinthe
organization'sportfolioofproducts.
SalesExecution/Pricing:Thevendor'scapabilitiesin
allpresalesactivitiesandthestructurethatsupports
them.Thisincludesdealmanagement,pricingand
negotiation,presalessupport,andtheoverall
effectivenessofthesaleschannel.
MarketResponsiveness/Record:Abilitytorespond,
changedirection,beflexibleandachievecompetitive
successasopportunitiesdevelop,competitorsact,
customerneedsevolveandmarketdynamicschange.
Thiscriterionalsoconsidersthevendor'shistoryof
responsiveness.
MarketingExecution:Theclarity,quality,creativity
andefficacyofprogramsdesignedtodeliverthe
organization'smessagetoinfluencethemarket,
promotethebrandandbusiness,increaseawareness
oftheproducts,andestablishapositiveidentification
withtheproduct/brandandorganizationintheminds
ofbuyers.This"mindshare"canbedrivenbya
combinationofpublicity,promotionalinitiatives,
thoughtleadership,wordofmouthandsalesactivities.
CustomerExperience:Relationships,productsand
services/programsthatenableclientstobesuccessful
withtheproductsevaluated.Specifically,thisincludes
thewayscustomersreceivetechnicalsupportor
accountsupport.Thiscanalsoincludeancillarytools,
customersupportprograms(andthequalitythereof),
availabilityofusergroups,servicelevelagreements
andsoon.
Operations:Theabilityoftheorganizationtomeet
itsgoalsandcommitments.Factorsincludethequality
oftheorganizationalstructure,includingskills,
experiences,programs,systemsandothervehicles
thatenabletheorganizationtooperateeffectivelyand
efficientlyonanongoingbasis.
CompletenessofVision
MarketUnderstanding:Abilityofthevendorto
understandbuyers'wantsandneedsandtotranslate
thoseintoproductsandservices.Vendorsthatshow
thehighestdegreeofvisionlistentoandunderstand
buyers'wantsandneeds,andcanshapeorenhance
thosewiththeiraddedvision.
MarketingStrategy:Aclear,differentiatedsetof
messagesconsistentlycommunicatedthroughoutthe
organizationandexternalizedthroughthewebsite,
advertising,customerprogramsandpositioning
statements.
Source:Gartner(June2015)
VendorStrengthsandCautions
AbsoluteSoftware
http://www.gartner.com/technology/reprints.do?id=12HNAMUD&ct=150611&st=sb&aliId=63195116
SalesStrategy:Thestrategyforsellingproductsthat
usestheappropriatenetworkofdirectandindirect
sales,marketing,service,andcommunication
affiliatesthatextendthescopeanddepthofmarket
reach,skills,expertise,technologies,servicesandthe
customerbase.
Offering(Product)Strategy:Thevendor'sapproach
toproductdevelopmentanddeliverythatemphasizes
1/10
10/4/2015
AbsoluteSoftware
AbsoluteSoftware'sAbsoluteManageisaleadingproductformanagingmixedWindowsandMacintosh
environments.Theinterfaces,functionalityandprocessesusedformanagementremainconsistent,
regardlessofthetypeofsystembeingmanaged.AuniquefeatureofAbsoluteManageisitsuseof
Persistencetechnology,whichisembeddedinthefirmwareofmostPCsandautomaticallyreinstallsthe
softwareagentifitisremoved.AbsoluteManagedoesnotprovidethedepthorbreadthofmanagement
functionalitythatmostlargeenterprisesrequire,butitseaseofuse,userinterfaceandpricepointare
wellalignedforsmallandmidsizeorganizations,particularlyeducationalaccounts,whereAbsolute
Managehasenjoyeditsgreatestsuccess.AbsoluteManageisagoodchoiceforsmallandmidsize
organizationslookingforconsistentmanagementcapabilitiesacrossWindowsandMacatanaggressive
pricepoint.
Strengths
AbsoluteManageprovidesconsistentmanagementcapabilitiesandtightfunctionalinteroperability
acrossMacandWindowsplatforms.
Persistencetechnologyprovidesstrongagenthealthandhardwareinventorymanagement
capabilities.
differentiation,functionality,methodologyandfeature
setsastheymaptocurrentandfuturerequirements.
BusinessModel:Thesoundnessandlogicofthe
vendor'sunderlyingbusinessproposition.
Vertical/IndustryStrategy:Thevendor'sstrategy
todirectresources,skillsandofferingstomeetthe
specificneedsofindividualmarketsegments,including
verticalmarkets.
Innovation:Direct,related,complementaryand
synergisticlayoutsofresources,expertiseorcapital
forinvestment,consolidation,defensiveorpre
emptivepurposes.
GeographicStrategy:Thevendor'sstrategytodirect
resources,skillsandofferingstomeetthespecific
needsofgeographiesoutsidethe"home"ornative
geography,eitherdirectlyorthroughpartners,
channelsandsubsidiariesasappropriateforthat
geographyandmarket.
Cautions
AbsoluteSoftwarehasbeenslowinprovidingsomeclientmanagementcapabilitiesthat
organizationsareincreasinglyrequiring,suchastheavailabilityofasoftwaretitledatabase.
Relativetoothervendors,AbsoluteSoftware'scustomerbaseissmall,andawarenessforAbsolute
Manageisrelativelylow,particularlyforWindows.Thevendoralsolacksastrongonlinecommunity
andusergroups.
Accelerite
ClientAutomation,whichAcceleriteacquiredthroughalicensingagreementwithHP,isanenterprise
classproductthatoffersdeeplevelsofmanagementfunctionality,scalabilityandstrongcapabilitiesfor
managingremotelocations.AnongoingfocusforAcceleriteistoprovideaunifiedsolutionincorporating
differentmanagementofferingswithinitsexpandingportfolioofproducts.Accelerite'sgoalwithClient
Automationistoprotectandexpanditsinstalledbaseoflargeenterprises,whileatthesametime
penetratingthemidmarket.Thiswillprovetobeextremelychallenging,giventhevendor'slimitedsales,
marketingandsupportresources.ClientAutomationisagoodfitfororganizationsexperiencedinclient
managementthatdonotrequirehighlevelsofserviceandsupport.
Strengths
AcceleriteClientAutomationhasahighlyscalableunderlyingarchitecturethatisparticularlystrong
atmanagingremotelocations.
AcceleriteisoneofthefewvendorsinthisMagicQuadrantthatcandeliveraconsistentsetofa
clientmanagementfunctionalityonpremises,asaSaaSbasedcloudofferingorthroughamanaged
serviceproviderrelationship.
Cautions
Acceleriteisasmallvendorwithlimitedsalesandmarketingcapacitythatmustquicklygrowshare
inthemidmarket,whilepreservingitsenterprisebusiness.
ThefeaturesetofAcceleriteClientAutomationismoregearedtowardlargerenterprise
requirements,andmidsizeorganizationsmaynotbeabletoexploititsfullcapabilities(e.g.,
scalabilityandremoteofficemanagement).
BMCSoftware
BMCSoftwareoffersoneofthebroadestportfoliosofoperationsandmanagementtoolsinthemarket.
BMCClientManagement(BCM),itsCMTtargetedatmidsizebusinesses,issoldmostlyasanaddon
moduletootherBMCproducts,mostfrequentlyitssmallandmidsizebusiness(SMB)focusedITservice
managementsolutions.BCMoffersagoodsetofbasicclientmanagementfunctionality,anintuitiveand
easytouseinterface,andstrongintegrationwithotherBMCSoftwareproducts.BMCSoftwareisoneof
thefewCMTvendorswithoutamobilemanagementofferingofitsown,andinvestsonlyminimallyin
promotingBCM.Thisraisesconcernsaboutthestrategicnatureofclientmanagementasastandalone
business.BCMisagoodchoiceforusersofotherBMCSoftwaremanagementproducts,suchasthe
vendor'sITservicemanagementofferings,andespeciallyforthoselookingfortightlyintegratedsolutions.
Strengths
BCMusesasimpleuserinterface,makingitaccessibletoITstaffthatlacksubstantialdesktop
administrationexpertise.
BCMhastightintegrationwithBMCFootPrintsServiceCoreandBMCRemedyforceServiceDesk,at
aconsole,dataandprocesslevel.
Cautions
Theabsenceofanestablishedmobilemanagementofferingproductwillhinderthevendor'sability
toprovideaunifiedendpointmanagementsolution.
Asastandaloneoffering,comparedwithotherproductsinitsportfolio,clientmanagementisnot
highlystrategictotheoverallsuccessofBMCSoftware,andreceivesminimalsalesandmarketing
focus,resultinginlowmarketpenetrationandaweakcommunityofusers.
CATechnologies
2/10
10/4/2015
CA'sClientAutomationCMTisnotedbyitsusersforitsstabilityandcodequality.CA'sclientmanagement
focusinrecentyearshasbeenonprovidingmanagementcapabilitiesfordesktopvirtualization
technologies,aswellasprovidinganintegratedEMMtool.CA'svisibilityinthismarketcontinuesto
decline,withfewGartnerclientsconsideringClientAutomation.Nevertheless,ClientAutomationisagood
fitfororganizationslookingtomanagehostedvirtualdesktopenvironmentsandphysicaldesktopsina
singletool,especiallyforcustomersofotherrelatedCAproducts,suchasITAssetManagerandService
DeskManager.
Strengths
ClientAutomationallowsadministratorstomanagephysicalandvirtualdesktopssimilarlywith
featuressuchastheabilitytomaintainapplicationassignmentsfordynamicallyassembleddesktops
forVMwareViewandCitrixXenDesktop.
Theproducthasstrongsoftwareinventorymanagement,providingmultiplewaystoidentify
software,includingauniquecapabilitycalledIntellisigs,whichallowsadministratorstoidentify
softwaremoreaccuratelythanheuristicsorsignaturebasedmethods.
Cautions
Relativetoothervendors,ClientAutomationhaslowvisibilityinthemarket,andisusuallynot
consideredunlesspartofalargerCAbundleorasanaddonmodule.
ClientAutomationlacksastrongonlinecommunityandusergroups.
DellKace
TheDellKaceOSdeployment(K2000)andlifecyclemanagement(K1000)appliancesofferastrong
breadthofmanagementfunctionality,highlightedbyeaseofuseandsetup.Dellreleasedversion6.3of
K1000earlierthisyear,whichaddedseveraltargetedfeatures(suchasChromebooksupport).The
vendorhassuccessfullybeenleveragingitslarge,globalsalesorganizationtoincreaseexposureofKace
withinnewandexistingopportunities,andismakingavailableafree,scaleddownversionoftheagent
forallDellandnonDellbusinesslaptopsandPCs.Dellalsodiscontinuedthemobilemanagement(K3000)
appliance,andisnowfocusedonintegratingmobilitymanagementintotheK1000.Mobilitymanagement
isanareainwhichDellcontinuestolagbehindothermanagementvendors.Kaceisagoodfitfor
organizationsthatwantaproductthatiseasytodeployandeasytouse,anditisparticularlywellsuited
formidmarket,educationalinstitutionsandenterprisesthatmaynothavetheresourcesorexpertisein
clientmanagement.
Strengths
TheDellsalesforce,whichisactivelypromotingKaceandofferingaccesstothetechnology
integratedwithotherDellhardware,givesitauniquesaleschannelwithbroadandgeographically
diversecapabilities.
Kaceappliancesareeasytodeploy,maintainandupgrade,whichareamongthemajorchallengesof
CMTsinthemidmarket.
Cautions
KacehaslaggedbehindothermarketleadingCMTsinenablingnewfunctionalityandcapabilities,
particularlyinaddressingtherequirementsoflargerorganizations.
KaceisnowpartofDell'srapidlyexpandingsoftwareportfolio,andmustsharefocusandinvestment
withotherhighprofile,highmarginofferings.
HeatSoftware(formerlyFrontRange)
FrontRangewassoldtoprivateequityfirmClearlakeCapitalinFebruary2015,whereitwascombined
withLumension,asecurityandpatchvendor,tocreateanewentitycalledHeatSoftware.HeatDesktop
&ServerManagement(DSM)isaneasytouseclientmanagementproductregularlybundledwithother
FrontRangesolutions.ThemajorityofHeatDSM'srevenueisgeneratedbyEuropeancustomerstoday
GartnerhasyettoseebroadbasedadoptionoftheproductinNorthAmericaorAsia.Agoalofjoining
withLumensionistoallowHeatSoftwaretoexpanditscustomerbasegloballyovertime.HeatDSM
offersagoodbalanceofeasyofuse,wizarddrivenfunctionalityforlessexperiencedusers,andmore
advancedfunctionality,suchasscripting,forusersmoreexperiencedwithclientmanagement.HeatDSM
isagoodfitformidsizeorganizations,especiallythoselookingforabundledsetofmanagementofferings.
Strengths
PackagebuildinghaslongbeenadifferentiatorforHeatDSM.Manyclientmanagementofferings
requirethirdpartyproductsforadvancedapplicationpackaging,butDSMincludesstrongnative
capabilitiestohelpcustomersbuildpackages.
AcombinedFrontRangeandLumensionwillallowHeatSoftwaretoimproveonpatchmanagement
andoverallsecuritycapabilitieswithinHeatDSM.
Cautions
HeatSoftware'svisibilityandpresenceintheCMTspaceislow.Organizationsmayhavedifficulty
findingonlinepeersupport,aswellasadministratorsandconsultantswithHeatDSMexperience.
HeatDSM'sconsolemustbeenhancedtoimproveoverallperformanceandbreadthofnative
managementfunctionality.
IBM
IBMBigFix(formerlyIBMEndpointManager)excelsinpatchmanagement,multiplatformsupportand
overallscalability.Organizationsalsofrequentlyuseittomanageservers,particularlymidsize
3/10
10/4/2015
organizationsthatpreferasingletooltomanagePCsandservers.Duringthepastyear,IBMhasbeen
heavilyfocusedonmoredeeplyintegratingitsenterprisemobilitysolutionandlightweightPC
managementplatform,MaaS360,withBigFix,andenhancingitscloudbaseddevicemanagement
capabilities.BigFixisagoodchoicefororganizationsthatareheavilyfocusedonsecurityconfiguration
management(includingpatching),andthosethatrequirestrongmultiplatformservermanagementin
additiontoclientmanagement,orscalabilitytosupporttensofthousandsofendpoints.Itisnotasgooda
choicefororganizationsthatrequiresimpleusabilityorthatlackstrongmanagementtoolresources.
Strengths
Theproduct'sendpointorientedintelligenceandcontrol,alongwithitsrelayserverarchitecture,
resultsinarelativelysmallserverfootprinttosupporthighlydistributedenvironments.
IBMBigFixprovidescomprehensiveoutoftheboxconfigurationpoliciesandtemplates.
Cautions
UptakeofOSdeployment(OSD)remainslow,andIBM'strackrecordofsupportingitatlargescaleis
unproven.
IBM'scustomersfrequentlyexpresschallengeswithsupport.Clientfeedbacksuggeststhatsupport
fornonWindowsmanagementfunctionalityisnotasstrongassupportforWindowsmanagement
functions.
Landesk
LandeskManagementSuite(LDMS)isoneofthemostcompleteCMTsinthemarket,buttheadditional
capabilitiescanalsomakeitcomplextouse.Toaddressthischallenge,Landeskisincorporating
WorkspacesintoLDMS.Workspacesareredesignedconsolesoptimizedforeaseofuseandfunctionality
specifictoauserrole(e.g.,ITanalyst,servicedeskanalyst,assetmanagerandsecurityadministrator).A
maingoalistoallowLandesktomoredeeplypenetratemarketsotherthanenterprise,whereitdoesthe
majorityofbusinesstoday.LandeskalsocontinuestofocusheavilyonpromotingitsTotalUser
ManagementSuite,whichmakesuponlyasmallportionofthevendor'ssalestodayhowever,
momentumforuserbasedmanagementandlicensingisgrowing.LDMSisagoodfitfororganizations
thatrequiremultiplatformsupport,robustmanagementandflexibilitytocustomizemanagementtools.
Strengths
Landeskoffersoneofthemostrobustsetsofmanagementfunctionalityamongallclient
managementvendors,withstrongcrossdeviceandcrossplatformsupportforWindows,OSXand
mobile.
TheLDMSTargetedMulticastwiththepeerdownloadoptionenablesadministratorstodistribute
applicationsusingapeertopeermodelatsubnets.Landeskcustomershavefewerremotepackage
serversthancustomersusingcompetitiveproducts.
Cautions
LDMScanbecomplextouse,andgenerallyrequiresexperiencewithandastrongunderstandingof
clientmanagementtofullyexploitallofitscapabilities.
Landesk'sEMMcapabilitiesarelessmaturethanitsPCmanagementcapabilities,andintegration
withLDMSneedstobetighter.
ManageEngine
ManageEngineDesktopCentralisaneasytouse,costeffectiveclientmanagementproductaimed
primarilyatsmallandmidsizeorganizationsthatareheavilystandardizedonMicrosoftWindows.The
majorityofDesktopCentral'srevenueisgeneratedfromsubscriptionlicensesdeliveredtoorganizations
withfewerthan500users.DesktopCentral'sfunctionalityisintuitive,offersawidebreadthofbasic
managementcapabilitiesandisoneofthemostaggressivelypricedproductsavailableinthissolution
market.ManageEnginemadeimprovementstoDesktopCentralduringthepastyear,buttheproductstill
lacksdepthoffunctionalityinseveralareas(e.g.,effectivelymanagingnonWindowsplatforms,security
andvulnerabilityscanning),anddoesnotscaleeffectivelytomeettherequirementsoflargeenterprises.
ManageEngineisagoodfitforsmallandmidsizeorganizationsseekingbasicfunctionalityformanaging
Windowsenvironmentsatlowerpricepoints.
Strengths
InitialsetupandconfigurationofDesktopCentralisstraightforward.Theinterfaceisintuitiveand
easytonavigate,anditdoesnotrequirehighlevelsofclientmanagementexperience.
DesktopCentralisoneofthemostaggressivelypricedproductsintheclientmanagementspace.
Cautions
DesktopCentraloffersbasicmanagementfunctionality,buttrailsthemarketinseveralkeyareas,
includingselfservice,enterprisescalabilityandOSdeployment.
ManageEngineisstillsmallandnotaswellknownasmanyoftheleadingCMTvendorsassuch,it
hasalimitedfollowingandlimitedonlinecommunityresources.
Matrix42
Matrix42'sstrategyistoprovideworkspacemanagement,combiningclientmanagement,SaaS
applicationprovisioningITservice,licensemanagementandEMMcapabilities(throughtherecent
acquisitionofSilverback).Matrix42hasalwayshadastrongfocusonemergingandfutureclient
managementrequirements.Thevendor'schallengeisprimarilyitslackofapresenceoutsideofEurope,
whereitstilldoesthevastmajorityofitsbusiness.OneofthereasonsforacquiringSilverback,locatedin
4/10
10/4/2015
Australia,wastogiveMatrix42afootholdintheAustralianmarketandtoexpandacrosstheAsia/Pacific
region.However,givenitslimitedglobalpresencetodayandthematurityoftheclientmanagement
market,itwillbechallengingforMatrix42togrowitsclientmanagementbusinessoutsideEurope.
Matrix42PhysicalisagoodchoiceforEuropeanandpotentiallyAustralianorganizationsthatmanage
complexendpointenvironmentscomposedofphysicalPCs,virtualdesktopsandmobiledevices.
Strengths
Thevendorprovidespackagingandscriptingcapabilitiesasacloudservicethatincludemorethan
1,200prepackagedsoftwarepackages.
Theproducthasacomprehensiveenduserselfserviceinterface,whichisindependentofthe
Matrix42servicedesk.
Cautions
OSdeploymentcapabilitiesneedtobeextended.Matrix42Physicaldoesnotcurrentlysupport
multicastOSdeployment,andreferencefeedbackindicateschallengeswithdrivermanagementin
someenvironments.
Macmanagementcapabilitiesareincomplete,currentlylackingOSdeployment,softwareusageand
patchmanagement.
Microsoft
MicrosoftcontinuestomaintainthelargestmarketshareintheCMTmarketbyawidemargin.Microsoft's
licensingstrategyofofferingSystemCenterConfigurationManager(ConfigurationManager)asapartof
theCoreandEnterpriseClientAccessLicensesisthemaindrivingforcebehindthis.Microsoftalso
continuestoenablearobustandgrowingecosystemofcertifiedthirdpartymodulesandsnapins,which
integratewiththeConfigurationManagerconsole,allowingMicrosofttopresentamorecompletesetof
capabilitiesincompetitivesituations.Overthepastseveralmonths,Microsofthasgeneratedasubstantial
amountofinterestinitsEnterpriseMobilitySuite(EMS),due,inlargepart,toitsintegrationwith
ConfigurationManager.MicrosoftalsoplanstoreleaseamajornewversionofConfigurationManagerin
thefourthquarterof2015.ConfigurationManagerisagoodchoicefororganizationswithstrongclient
managementskills,especiallythoserunningpredominantlyMicrosoftsoftware.
Strengths
ConfigurationManager'sscalabilityhasbeenproventhroughmanylargecustomers.
Microsofthasalargeecosystemofsoftwarevendorsandserviceprovidersthatsupport
ConfigurationManager,duetoitslargemarketshare.
Cautions
SupportfornonWindowsPCsisweak.ConfigurationManagerlackspatchcontentformostnon
Microsoftdesktopapplications.OrganizationsmustpatchmostnonMicrosoftapplicationsthrough
traditionalsoftwaredistributionorthirdpartypatchmanagementtools.
Remotecontrolisfrequentlysupplementedbythirdpartyproducts,asitlacksadvancedsecurity
andauditingcapabilitiesofferedbythirdpartyremotecontroltools.
Novell
NovellZENworksConfigurationManagement(ZCM)capabilitiesarecompetitive.Itssoftwaredistribution
isstrong,offeringadvancedcapabilitiesformanagingapplicationpackagedependenciesanddeploying
applicationstousers(ratherthanmerelymachines).However,Novell'spresenceintheCMTmarket
continuestodecline.NovellhasrecentlyshifteditsfocusawayfromsellingZCMasastandalonetoolfor
clientmanagementandisnowofferingitprimarilyaspartofitsZENworksSuite,whichincludesasset
management,applicationvirtualization,servicedesk,andsecurityanddiskencryption.ZENworksisa
goodproduct,andorganizationsthatareexperiencedandsatisfiedwithitshouldhavenocompelling
reasontoswitch.
Strengths
ZENworksallowsdesktopapplicationstobemanageddynamically.Applicationscanbelaunched
takingintoaccountuseridentity,location,timeandotherfactors,withouttheneedtodevelop
scriptsoraseparateprofilemanagementtool.
ZCMhascomprehensivesoftwaredistributioncapabilitiescomplexsoftwaredistributionjobscanbe
managedmoreeasilyinZCMthaninmanycompetitiveproducts,whichmayrequiremorescripting
ormanualeffort.
Cautions
Novelldoesnothaveastrongbrandinthismarket,andwecontinuetoseefeworganizations
consideringZENworksbeyondlegacyNovellcustomersupgradingfromanoldversionofZENworks
toZCM.
ZENworksdoesnotprovidevulnerabilityassessmentoroutoftheboxsecurityconfiguration
assessmentcapabilities.
Symantec
TheSymantecClientManagementSuite(CMS)isacomprehensiveclientmanagementproductwithdeep
enterprisefunctionalityandflexibility,andalargeinstalledbaseofcustomers.However,challengesprior
totheOctober2013releaseofCMS7.5haveleftcustomersdecidingwhethertoinvestfurtherinthe
CMSplatformortomigratetoanalternativeproduct.Whiletheresponsefromcustomersthathave
upgradedtoCMS7.5hasgenerallybeenpositive,otherschoosetoevaluatealternativeofferings.Thisis
5/10
10/4/2015
due,inpart,topastproduct,stabilityandsupportissues.CMSisaviableclientmanagementalternative
today,butorganizationsshouldworkwithSymantectounderstanditslongtermfocusonand
investmentsinstandaloneclientandmobilemanagementtools.CMSisagoodfitfororganizationswith
strongclientmanagementskillslookingforadvancedmanagementfunctionalityandflexibilityto
customize.
Strengths
CMSoffersgreatflexibilityinmanagingendpointstherearemanywaystoexecutethevarious
functions,allowingadministratorstotailortheproducttoprocesses.
Symantechasalargeinstalledbaseofcustomers,withoneofthelargestandmostactive
communitiesofusergroupsandonlineforums.
Cautions
CMS7.5canbecomplextouseandmaybechallengingforuserswithoutstrongclient
managementexperiencetoexploititsfullcapabilities.
AweakpositioninmobilemanagementwillmakeitmorechallengingforSymantectosucceedwith
afutureunifiedendpointmanagementproduct.
VendorsAddedandDropped
WereviewandadjustourinclusioncriteriaforMagicQuadrantsandMarketScopesasmarketschange.As
aresultoftheseadjustments,themixofvendorsinanyMagicQuadrantorMarketScopemaychange
overtime.Avendor'sappearanceinaMagicQuadrantorMarketScopeoneyearandnotthenextdoes
notnecessarilyindicatethatwehavechangedouropinionofthatvendor.Itmaybeareflectionofa
changeinthemarketand,therefore,changedevaluationcriteria,orofachangeoffocusbythatvendor.
Added
NovendorswereaddedtotheMagicQuadrant.
Dropped
KaseyawasdroppedfromtheMagicQuadrant.KaseyaVirtualSystemAdministrator(VSA)isabroadIT
operationsmanagementplatformtargetedprimarilyatsmallandmidsizemanagedserviceproviders,as
wellasservingmidsizeenduseraccounts.Earlierthisyear,Kaseyadroppedsupportforoperatingsystem
deploymentand,asaresult,nolongermeetstheinclusioncriteriaforthisMagicQuadrant.However,it
remainsagoodchoicefororganizationsthatdonotrequireoperatingsystemdeploymentfunctionality,
andthosethatvalueasinglesolutionforclientandmobilemanagement,endpointsecurity,andservice
deskthroughthesameconsole.
OtherVendors
ThereareothervendorsinthemarketthatGartnerbelievesprovidestrongclientmanagement
capabilities,butthatmaynotbeabletomeetalloftheMagicQuadrantcriteriabecauseofsegment,
productormarketfocus.
JamfSoftwareisonesuchvendor.Jamf'sCasperSuiteclientmanagementproductisdesignedspecifically
formanagingAppleMacintoshcomputers.Thissolefocusallowsthevendortoprovideleading
functionalityspecifictomanagingMacsystems.Jamfmaybeagoodchoicefororganizationswithlarge
populationsofMacsorthoselookingtocomplementexistingcapabilitieswithcomprehensiveMac
management.
Taniumemergedinthelasttwoyears,targetinglargeorganizationswithgloballydistributednetworks,
andchallengingmanyincumbentvendors.Taniumbringsrealtimeendpointvisibilityandremediation,
whichhasbecomeincreasinglyimportantintoday'sageoftargetedattacks.Taniumisagoodchoicefor
organizationsthatrequirerealtimeendpointvisibilityandremediation,andarewillingtoreplaceor
augmentdesktopengineeringprocessesandtools,whichareusuallywellentrenched.
InclusionandExclusionCriteria
$15millioninannualCMTrevenue
1,000activeenduserorganizationsutilizingtheCMT
1milliondesktopsandnotebooksactivelyundermanagementbytheCMT
CoreCMTfunctionalityforWindowsPCsystems,including:
Hardwareandsoftwareinventory
OSdeployment
Patchmanagement
Softwaredistribution
10new,namedcustomersthathavedeployedatleast2,500CMTlicensesinthelastyear
Atleastfournew,namedcustomersoutsidethevendor'sprimarygeographywithatleast500CMT
licensesdeployedinthelastyear(intheAmericas,EMEAandtheAsia/Pacificregion)
Atleastfournew,namedcustomersinthreedifferentverticalmarketswithatleast1,000CMT
licensesdeployedinthelastyear
EvaluationCriteria
AbilitytoExecute
6/10
10/4/2015
TheAbilitytoExecuteaxismeasurestheCMTprovideronthequalityandefficacyoftheprocesses,
systems,methodsandproceduresthatenableitsperformancetobecompetitive,efficientandeffective,
andtopositivelyimpactrevenue,retentionandreputation.Ultimately,CMTprovidersarejudgedontheir
abilityandsuccessincapitalizingontheirvision.
Product/Service:Corefeaturesofclientmanagementinclude:
Softwaredistribution
Hardwareandsoftwareinventory,includingsoftwareusagemonitoring
OSdeployment
Patchmanagement
Otherclientmanagementfunctions,suchasremotecontrol,securityconfigurationmanagementand
softwarepackaging,areincluded,butreceivelessemphasisthanthecorefeatureslistedabove.Cross
platformandmobilesupport,workflowcapabilitiestoautomateclientmanagementprocesses,andself
servicecapabilitiesarealsoincluded.Productscalability,usabilityandadministrationarealsoevaluated,as
theyrelatetobeingabletomeetbuyers'currentneeds.
OverallViability:Thiscriterioncoverstheorganization'soverallfinancialhealth,thefinancialand
practicalsuccessoftheCMTbusinessunit,andthelikelihoodthatthebusinessunitwillcontinuetooffer
andinvestintheCMT,andwilladvancetheorganization'sportfolioofproducts.
SalesExecution/Pricing:Thisassessesthecapabilitiesinallsalesactivities,thesuccessofthe
organizationinachievingsalesgoalsandobjectives,andthestructurethatsupportsthem.Thefrequency
ofappearanceonCMTbuyershortlistsandthestructure,competitivenessandapproachtopricingare
alsoconsidered.
MarketResponsiveness/Record:ThiscriterioncoverstheexecutionindeliveringCMTsandupdates
consistentlyandinatimelyfashion,theagilitytoquicklymeetnewmarketdemandsandrequirements,
andhowwellthevendorreceivesandutilizescustomerfeedback.
MarketingExecution:Thisassessestheeffectivenessofmarketingcampaignsandprogramsforthe
CMTtoinfluencethemarketpromotethecompany,brandandbusinessincreaseawarenessoftheCMT
andestablishapositiveidentificationwiththeproduct/brandandorganizationinthemindsofbuyersand
partners.
CustomerExperience:Thiscriterioncoverstherelationships,productsandprogramsthatenable
clientstobesuccessfulwiththeuseoftheCMTcustomerfeedbackregardingexperienceworkingwith
thevendor,planstocontinueworkingwiththevendor,availabilityandvibrancyofusercommunitiesand
onlineforums,generalonlinepresenceofthevendor,andoverallreputation.
Operations:Thisassessestheabilityoftheorganizationtomeetitsgoalsandcommitments.Factors
includethequalityoftheorganizationalstructurededicatedtotheCMT,includingskills,experiences,
programs,systemsandothervehiclesthatenabletheorganizationtooperateeffectivelyandefficiently
onanongoingbasis.
Table1.AbilitytoExecuteEvaluation
Criteria
EvaluationCriteria
Weighting
Product/Service
High
OverallViability
High
SalesExecution/Pricing
High
MarketResponsiveness/Record
Medium
MarketingExecution
Medium
CustomerExperience
High
Operations
Low
CompletenessofVision
TheCompletenessofVisionaxisevaluatesCMTprovidersontheirabilitytoconvincinglyarticulatelogical
statementsaboutcurrentandfuturemarketdirection,innovation,customerneeds,andcompetitive
forces,aswellashowwelltheymaptoGartnerpositions.CompletenessofVisionprovidesanaggregate
measureofthevendors'likelihoodoffuturesuccessintheCMTmarket.
MarketUnderstanding:Thiscriterioncoverstheabilityofthevendortounderstandthewantsand
needsofCMTbuyers,andtotranslatethoseintotheirproductsandservices.Vendorsthatshowthe
highestdegreeofvisionlistentoandunderstandbuyers'wantsandneeds,andhavedemonstrated
timelyinclusionofthesecapabilitiesintotheirendpointmanagementroadmap.
MarketingStrategy:Thisassessestheoverallmarketingvisionforthevendor'sCMT,including
messaging,positioning,targetmarkets,portfoliomanagementandroadmapforendpointmanagement
convergence,andhowitiscommunicatedthroughouttheorganizationandexternalizedonline,through
7/10
10/4/2015
advertising,customerprogramsandpositioningstatements.
SalesStrategy:Thiscriterioncoversthestrategyforsellingproductsthatoptimizesroutestomarket
(e.g.,directversusindirectsales,enduserversusserviceprovider),thestrengthandbundlingof
additionalofferings(e.g.,endpointsecurity,servicedesk,assetmanagement),andthepricingand
deliverymodelsandhowtheymaptocustomerrequirements.
Offering(Product)Strategy:Thisassessestheapproachtoproductdevelopmentanddeliverythat
emphasizesdifferentiation,functionality,methodologyandfeaturesetastheymaptocurrentandfuture
requirements.Including,butnotlimitedto,mobiledevicemanagement,unifiedendpointmanagement,
selfservicecapabilities,Macmanagement,servermanagement,virtualizationsupport,integrationand
security.
BusinessModel:Thiscriterioncoversthestrategicnatureofthevendor'sCMTbusiness,howimportant
itistothevendor'soverallsuccess,andwhetheritsCMTbusinessisstructured,staffedandfunded
adequatelytosucceed.
GeographicStrategy:Thisassessesthevendor'sstrategytodirectCMTresources,skillsandofferingsto
meetthespecificneedsofgeographiesoutsidethe"home"ornativegeography,eitherdirectlyorthrough
partners,channelsandsubsidiaries,asappropriateforthatgeographyandmarket.
Table2.CompletenessofVision
EvaluationCriteria
EvaluationCriteria
Weighting
MarketUnderstanding
High
MarketingStrategy
Medium
SalesStrategy
Medium
Offering(Product)Strategy
High
BusinessModel
Medium
Vertical/IndustryStrategy
NoRating
Innovation
Low
GeographicStrategy
Medium
QuadrantDescriptions
Leaders
PositioningintheLeadersquadrantistheresultofsuccessfullyaddressingtheCompletenessofVision
andAbilitytoExecutecriteria.Thesevendorshavesucceededinallthefollowingareas:
Theyunderstandfutureorganizationaldemandsforclientandusermanagement.
Theyhavetheabilitytomeetadiversesetoforganizationalrequirements,especiallythoseoflarge
andmatureenterprises.
Thereisconsistentpositivefeedbackfromclientsregardingthevalueoftheirproductsandthe
overallserviceandsupportexperiences.
Theyhavesustainablemarketshareandfinancialhealth.
Theydemonstrateongoingvisibilityanddealsuccessintheclientmanagementmarket(Gartner
trackshowoftenvendorsarebeingconsideredbyorganizationsasameasureofvisibility).
Theyhavetheabilitytoserviceglobalclients,orhavedemonstratedtheabilitytodeliverand
supportsolutionstocustomersinNorthAmerica,EuropeandAsia.
ThevendorsintheLeadersquadranthaveuniquecharacteristicsthatpositionthemfavorablyforfuture
marketsuccess.
Challengers
ChallengersaredefinedbykeencapabilitiesrelatedtotheAbilitytoExecutecriteriahowever,when
comparedwithcompetitors,theylagbehindindeliveringnewandevolvingcapabilities,theyareslowto
marketwithnewfunctionalityorlackcompletefunctionality,ortheyhavecomparativelyfewvisionary
features,particularlyaroundemergingrequirementstomanagebeyondtraditionalWindowsPCs.This,
alongwiththeabilitytosupportnewmanagementparadigms,isviewedasnecessarytoshapethefuture
ofthemarket.Theirabilitytoexecutewillbeprovedbysolidmarketshareandoverallstrong
functionality.Thesecapabilitiesarebolsteredbyoverallindustryleadingfiscalhealthandbroadgeographic
presence.
Visionaries
VisionariesaredefinedbykeencapabilitiesrelatedtotheCompletenessofVisioncriteria.Visionarieshave
scoresthatreflectfeaturecompleteproducts,andshowtechnologyleadershipinprovidingdifferentiated
oruniquemanagementfunctionsthatusershavebegunrequesting,orthatwillhaveanimpactduring
thenextfewyears.AVisionaryhasastrongvisionforunifiedendpointmanagementandmayhave
particularstrengthsincertainemergingareas,butmaylackafullymaturelifecyclemanagement
solution,globalmarketpresence,brandrecognitionand/orlargeenterprisecapabilities.
8/10
10/4/2015
NichePlayers
NichePlayerscanbegoodchoices.Theymayhavestrengthsinparticularareas,butdon'thavethe
resourcestoinvestinalltherequirementsweevaluatefortheCompletenessofVisioncriteriaorhave
chosentonarrowthescopeoftheirofferingtobetterservecoreconstituencies.Organizationslookingfor
productswithspecificstrengths,orlookingforonlyasubsetofcapabilities,mayfindthatNichePlayers
offersufficientcapabilitiesandsupport.NichePlayersoftentargetspecificsegmentsorgeographies,are
newtothemarket,orselltheirCMTsintotheirowninstalledbase,ratherthanconsistentlyasstand
alonesolutions.
Context
CMTsperformthesamesetofcorefunctionsinventory,OSdeploymentandpatchmanagement
softwaredistribution.Therighttoolforanyorganizationdependsonalargenumberoffactors,including,
butnotlimitedto:
SkillslevelandnumberofITstaff
Scalabilityandarchitecture
Easeofuse
Costtopurchaseandoperate
SupportfornonWindowsPCs(e.g.,Mac,virtualmachines,servers)
IntegrationwithEMMproducts
IntegrationandinclusionwithotherITmanagementtools(e.g.,servicedesk)
Remoteofficeorhomeusermanagementrequirements
Endpointsecurityrequirements
Clouddeliveryoptions
OrganizationsshouldnotmerelychoosefromvendorsintheLeadersquadranttheyshouldcreatealist
ofcriteriathatdescribestheirneeds,andselectfromvendorsthatbestmeetthoserequirements.
Organizationsshoulduseavendorthatcanmeettheirspecificneedsforatleastthenextthreeyears.
Strongfocusshouldbeplacedonskills,training,processandproperproductimplementation,because
thesefactorswillinfluenceanorganization'sproductexperiencemorethanthespecificfunctional
capabilities.
MarketOverview
CMTsarewidelyusedinbothmidsizeandlargeenterprises,althoughthereisgreatvariabilityinthe
extenttowhichtheircapabilitiesarebeingutilized.Formanyorganizations,theyremaintheprimary
meanstoreducecostofownership,improveuserproductivity,increaseITefficiencyandhelpenablea
secureclientcomputingenvironment.Despitebeingahighlymaturetechnologymarket,changesinthe
mobileandendpointcomputinglandscapeareforcingCMTvendorstocontinuallyinnovateandevolve
theirproductstoaddressnewrequirements.AnewgenerationofuserrequiresITtodeliverandmanage
servicesinnewways.Bringyourowndevice(BYOD),mobility,userpersonalcloudanddigitalworkplace
programscontinuetogrowinpopularity,andareforcingCMTstoevolvetosupporttheseinitiatives.
CMTscontinuetoimproveinperformingcoremanagementtasks,whilenewcapabilitiesarebeingadded
toextendtheirusefulnessinsupportingamorediversesetofmanagementrequirements.Majorareasof
vendorfocusandproductenhancementinclude:
SelfserviceTheabilityofCMTstodeliverselfservicecapabilitiescontinuestogrowinimportance
asorganizationslooktoenhancethemanagementexperiencefortheuser,improvetheefficiency
withwhichsoftwareandservicesaredelivered,increaseuserproductivityandsatisfaction,and
lowertotalcostofownership.MostCMTsoffersomeformofbasicselfservicecapabilities,butonlya
handfulprovideworkflowandautomationcapabilitiesoutoftheboxmostrequireadditional
modulesorservicedesktools.Selfservicecapabilitiesareincreasinglybecomingaleadingareaof
differentiation.
PatchmanagementSecurityandcomplianceremainsacriticalfocusformostorganizations,
increasingtheneedforstrongpatchmanagement.AllCMTsprovidepatchmanagementcapabilities,
butthereisgreatvariabilityfromonetooltoanother.Someofferonlybasicfunctionalityfor
patchingtheoperatingsystem,whileothersaremoresophisticatedinboththebreadthofoperating
systemsandapplicationsthattheypatch,aswellastheleveloffunctionality,automationand
reportingtheyprovide.PatchingiscommonlytheinitialusecaseforCMTs,andoftentheprimary
justificationforselectingonetooloveranother.
UnifiedendpointmanagementOrganizationsarestrugglingtomanageagrowingnumberof
smartphones,tabletsandBYODdevicesconnectingtotheirnetworks.EventhoughCMTsare
beginningtoofferbasicfunctionalitytomanagethesedevices,mostorganizationscontinuetoutilize
separateEMMproducts,oftenfromdifferentvendors.Wearetowardapproachingthebeginningof
Wave2ofunifiedendpointmanagement(see"ManagingPCs,SmartphonesandTabletsandthe
FutureAhead"),whereasingleproductinitiallyusingseparateprocesseswillmanageboth
traditionalclientsandmobiledevices.Assuch,itiscriticalthatorganizationsunderstandtheirCMT
vendor'sabilitytomanagemobiledevicestodayandtheirplansforconvergence.
SecurityandcomplianceRapidlychangingsecurityandcompliancerequirementsbeingputin
placebyorganizationsareforcingCMTstocontinuallyevolvetheircapabilitiesbeyondjustpatch
management.ITmanagersareincreasinglylookingforCMTstohelpinautomatingthecreationand
enforcementofsecuritystandardsonpolicies.Thisincludestheuseofsecuritytemplatesand
compliancebaselines,proactivenotificationofnoncomplianceandthreats,andautomatic
remediationandadvancedreportingofsystemsoutofcompliance.Securityandcompliance
9/10
10/4/2015
enhancementswillcontinuetobeamajorareaoffocusofinnovationforallCMTvendors.
ThewayCMTsaresoldvariesacrossvendors.Here'showandwhy:
Clientmanagementissometimessoldasanaddonmoduletoanothermorestrategicproduct(e.g.,
servicedesk).Inthiscase,theCMTmaynotbeasfeaturerichasotherstandaloneofferingsinthe
market,butitdoesprovidetightintegrationintootherproductsinthevendor'sportfolio.Client
managementisnotusuallystrategictothevendor'ssuccess.
Clientmanagementfunctionalitymayalsobedeliveredaspartofabundledofferingwhereitactsas
corefunctionwithinalargeroverallmanagementsuite.Theseofferingsaretypicallytargetedatthe
midmarketanddesignedforeaseofuse.Clientmanagementfunctionalityisoptimizedtowork
specificallywithothercomponentsofthesamesuite.
Mostoften,CMTsaresoldasstandaloneofferingsandareaprimaryfocusandinvestmentareaof
thevendor,andstrategictoitsoverallsuccess.CMTsthataresoldstandalonearegenerallythe
mostrobustinbreadthanddepthoffunctionality,andprovidestrongintegrationcapabilitieswith
otherproductsinthemarket.
UnderstandingwhyavendorcompetesinthemarketprovidesinsightintothestrategicnatureofCMTs
withinabroaderproductset,thelevelofpotentialinvestmentsthevendorwillmakeandhowbestto
approachnegotiationswiththatvendor.
Vendorswillclaimtobeabletoaddressallsegmentsofthemarket,butthatisnotthecase.CMTsare
almostalwaysdesignedandoptimizedforaspecificsetofuserrequirements.Therearealwaystradeoffs
thatneedtobemadewhendesigningaproductoraddingnewfeaturesthatwillhelpinonesegment,
butnegativelyimpactanother.Forexample,providingdeepfunctionalitytomanagealargenumberof
devicesanenterpriserequirementalmostalwayscomesattheexpenseofeaseofuseanSMB
requirement.NoCMTtodaycanmeetthegeneraluserrequirementsofallorganizations.
Serviceandsupport,presalesandpostsalesactivities,andgotomarketshouldalsobealignedwiththe
targetmarketoftheproduct.AnenterpriseclassproductdeliveredfromavendorwithSMBcapabilities,
orviceversa,usuallyresultsinmisalignedexpectationsandapooroverallexperience.
Clientmanagementisamaturemarket.SwitchingCMTvendorsoccursratherinfrequently,especiallyat
largeenterprises.Thisisbecausethereareusuallylimitedmeaningfultechnicalbenefitsindoingso,
switchingcanbeasignificanteffortandthemigrationscanbetimeconsuming.Thisisparticularlytrue
whereprocesseshavebeendevelopedaroundspecifictools.Themainreasonswefindorganizations
movingfromonevendortoanotherarebecauseofdissatisfactionwiththeincumbentproviderortoget
betterpricing.Inthemidmarket,switchingvendorsismorecommonandtherearestillmany
organizationswithnoCMTsinplace,whichmakesitafocusareaforallvendorsandahighlycompetitive
market.
2015Gartner,Inc.and/oritsaffiliates.Allrightsreserved.GartnerisaregisteredtrademarkofGartner,Inc.oritsaffiliates.Thispublicationmaynotbe
reproducedordistributedinanyformwithoutGartnerspriorwrittenpermission.Ifyouareauthorizedtoaccessthispublication,youruseofitissubjecttothe
UsageGuidelinesforGartnerServicespostedongartner.com.Theinformationcontainedinthispublicationhasbeenobtainedfromsourcesbelievedtobereliable.
Gartnerdisclaimsallwarrantiesastotheaccuracy,completenessoradequacyofsuchinformationandshallhavenoliabilityforerrors,omissionsorinadequacies
insuchinformation.ThispublicationconsistsoftheopinionsofGartnersresearchorganizationandshouldnotbeconstruedasstatementsoffact.Theopinions
expressedhereinaresubjecttochangewithoutnotice.AlthoughGartnerresearchmayincludeadiscussionofrelatedlegalissues,Gartnerdoesnotprovidelegal
adviceorservicesanditsresearchshouldnotbeconstruedorusedassuch.Gartnerisapubliccompany,anditsshareholdersmayincludefirmsandfundsthat
havefinancialinterestsinentitiescoveredinGartnerresearch.GartnersBoardofDirectorsmayincludeseniormanagersofthesefirmsorfunds.Gartnerresearch
isproducedindependentlybyitsresearchorganizationwithoutinputorinfluencefromthesefirms,fundsortheirmanagers.Forfurtherinformationonthe
independenceandintegrityofGartnerresearch,seeGuidingPrinciplesonIndependenceandObjectivity.
AboutGartner|Careers|Newsroom|Policies|SiteIndex|ITGlossary|ContactGartner
10/10

Magic Quadrant For Client Management Tools

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Magic Quadrant For Client Management Tools

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

10/4/2015

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi