On Thursday Gartner released their 2013 Magic Quadrant for x86 Server Virtualization Infrastructure, in which they positioned Microsoft as a “Leader” in the industry.
For anyone unfamiliar with the format of the graphic below, the Magic Quadrant is used by Gartner to present an apples-to-apples review of the capabilities of vendors in a specific part of a market. While the position of each vendor on the graphic is important, it's also important to read the strengths and cautions for each vendor in the report linked above.
It's great to see recognition like this from a third party like Gartner; Microsoft has been consistently moving ‘up’ and to the ‘right’ in the Magic Quadrant graphic for four consecutive years. I believe our positioning as a “Leader” confirms that Windows Server 2012, System Center 2012, and Hyper-V are powerful options for enterprise-scale virtualization.
I recommend downloading the full report (compliments of Microsoft) and reading it in detail.
Note:
This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from [insert client name or reprint URL].
Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for x86 Server Virtualization Infrastructure, T. Bittman et al, 27 June 2013