Gartner subscription provides no-cost access to IT research, resources

Since its founding in 1979, Gartner Inc. has built a reputation as one of the world’s leading IT think tanks. But Gartner research — which U faculty, staff, and students may access at no cost — has academic and non-IT business applications, too.

A graduate student might leverage Gartner research in case studies. Instructors may use Gartner resources as the basis for curricula and discussion materials, or seek advice on better engaging academic leadership to leverage technology in the classroom. A recruiter might use Gartner materials to track trends that impact retention and graduation rates.

“Technology and its rapid evolution impact our day-to-day lives professionally, personally, and especially in education,” said Gartner Senior Account Executive Anthony Limantzakis. “Gartner's industry-leading research can be utilized to keep up on global technology trends and bring real-world, complex subjects to the classroom.”

Chief Technology Officer Jim Livingston said he and his teams “consult with Gartner analysts before we make any major IT decisions.”

“It's always good to have industry expertise to validate and help guide us to the right decisions that will bring the best value to the university,” Livingston said.

He cited several examples of projects and challenges where the CTO has sought Gartner’s input:

• Oracle Java licensing changes
• Network Access Control technology review
• Storage technology evaluation
• Monitoring architecture and solutions review
• University technology roadmap review 
• Unified communications technology review

“It’s a rare day that I don't tap into Gartner's vast database of research articles, which helps keep me up to date on what's happening in the world of IT,” Livingston said, adding that he regularly seeks advice from Gartner analysts on IT contract reviews, and attends conferences and symposiums to “connect with industry peers facing similar challenges, or who have solved problems we are looking to solve.”

For staff, Gartner research can help validate technology decisions defined in requests for proposals and requests for information. Two popular qualitative data analysis tools — the Magic Quadrant and the Hype Cycle — are especially helpful. The Magic Quadrant shows the relative positions of a given market’s competitors. The Hype Cycle provides a graphic representation of trends related to the maturity and adoption of emerging technologies.

In addition to individual accounts — which Limantzakis (anthony.limantzakis@gartner.com; 801-577-8052) can assist with setting up — U employees with an IT role may request complimentary access to Gartner's Burton classic IT1 research, IT1 reference architecture, and webinars, as well as consultations with Gartner analysts on IT topics. To request access, email Gartner Representative Savannah Dill at Savannah.Dill@gartner.com.

Access this web page for information on other memberships and subscriptions UIT has negotiated with other top-tier IT organizations.

 

 

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