NEC Stands Up to Gartner After Recent UC Magic Quadrant

The Gartner Magic Quadrant has faced some controversy over the years.
On one side of the coin, there are plenty of industry experts and communication enthusiasts that regard the Magic Quadrant to be an insightful guide into various IT markets. On the other hand, some companies and consumers alike feel that Gartner isn’t entirely fair with its ranking strategy.
After all, dozens of high-quality communications vendors fail to meet the standards required for a position on the Magic Quadrant, despite their innovative portfolios and commitment to customer service. As highly-regarded as the Quadrant might be, it’s worth noting that Gartner isn’t necessarily the gospel for Unified Communications, or any other IT sector for that matter – it’s just another analyst.
This year, after being pushed aside into the “niche” category for Unified Communications, NEC were keen to have their thoughts heard about the whole thing.
In a blog post on the NEC website, the company showed just how unhappy they were about Gartner placing them in the niche category. The company outlined the fact that Gartner’s criteria for the Unified Communications MQ seem to change suddenly – almost on a whim.
While you could argue that NEC is just bitter about the less than favourable placement in this year’s quadrant, it’s impossible to overlook the fact that they make some very valid points. For instance, NEC has many components in its business and portfolio that demonstrate its position as a visionary. It’s selling more phones than a lot of other vendors and incorporating disruptive technology like facial recognition into its devices too.
Another valid point that NEC made was the fact that their business caters fundamentally to mid-sized companies, while analysts such as Gartner frequently focus their attention on larger companies instead. This is something that’s easy to recognise when you see the consistent placement of bigger companies like Microsoft and Cisco throughout the MQ reports.
A Surprising Result for 2018
As Dave Michels of TalkingPointz noted in his “Quipz” newsletter, the final version of the MQ for this year “surprised many,” including NEC, who drew attention to the fact that they do meet all of the necessary criteria to appear in a higher section of the MQ portfolio.
Michels also outlined the fact that the 2018 report was a rare one for Gartner, as it involved a considerable change to the ranking between the pre-publishing final draft and the published release. Gartner decided to re-evaluate their findings this year, and the final version left people from various sectors with many questions.
In their blog, NEC even highlighted multiple industry analysts who believe that the Gartner Magic Quadrant might be “reaching the end of its usefulness,” stating that the current Quadrant uses measurements too narrow to adequately support the needs of an increasingly complex communications environment.
NEC isn’t the Only one With Complaints
NEC is far from the only company to ever push back against the decisions of the Magic Quadrant over the years. Back in 2009, ZL Technologies suggested that Gartner’s Magic Quadrant wasn’t as “legitimate” as it appeared and that Gartner gave special preference to companies offering bigger investments into the brand.
In 2014, NetScout also made claims of unfair competition against the Magic Quadrant, arguing that their portfolio hadn’t received the consideration it deserved.
While it’s easy for some people to say that these brands could simply ignore their placement on the Quadrant and move on, the prevalence of the report in the IT and communications environment means that failing to place on your respective quadrant could stop some companies from getting their cards on the table with a new client or customer.
The Gartner Quadrant: Just an Opinion?
Perhaps the biggest issue today is that some people are starting to look at the Gartner Magic Quadrant as indisputable evidence of the success or failure of different vendors. However, the truth is that it’s just one selection of thoughts from one small group of people. Dave Michels applauded NEC for pushing back, and noted that "ultimately, the MQ reflects the opinion of the authors”
In other words, it’s not as reliable as some people consider it to be.
While NEC might not be in the highest position for the UC sector of the Gartner Magic Quadrant, they’re still popular among Gartner’s peers. In fact, the organisation frequently gets an excellent rating on the Gartner Peer Insights portal.
At the end of the day, everyone has different opinions, and the Magic Quadrant is just one document designed to help people choose between the growing multitude of vendors in the unified communications space.
Source uctoday

Latest Jobs
-
- Identity Channel Partner Manager | London
- London
- N/A
-
Identity Channel Partner Manager | London Location: South East UK (commutable to London) We are working with a Cyber Security business who are looking for a Channel Partner Manager to drive and grow relationships across their identity ecosystem. Prior experience working within VARs, distributors, vendors or resellers in the identity space is essential. You must have experience working with technologies such as CyberArk, Sailpoint, Okta etc Responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: Build, maintain and develop strong relationships with channel partners. Work closely with partner sales teams to support growth drive sales opportunities. Identify and onboard new partners while strengthening existing partnerships. Act as the key point of contact for all channel-related activity. If you are an experienced channel professional, with experience in the Identity space and are ready for your next challenge, apply today.
-
- Service Architect- DACH regions
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Service Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the Service/ solutioning effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company area a global managed services business working with enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead Service/ solution design from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. You’ll Need: Experience working as a Service architect, Service Manager or Customer Success Manager R Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical grasp: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Deal Architect- DACH region
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Deal Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the solutioning/ Service effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company is a global managed services business providing solutions to enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead the deal from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. Be responsible for the service Wrap and ensuring the Service meets clients requirements You’ll Need: A back ground with IT Services Experience in a similar type of role, for example: Deal, Service, or Solution Architect in ICT outsourcing. Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical knowledge: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Pre Sales Lead- IT Services
- Germany
- Upto €100,000 plus benefits
-
As the Pre-Sales Lead (Sales Engineer/ Solution Architect) you will drive large-scale ICT managed services and outsourcing deals (from €0.5M to €20M+). You'll work directly with Business Development and clients to design high-impact solutions across Cloud (Azure, IaaS, SaaS, PaaS), EUC, Unified Comms, Security (SIEM, PAM), Networks, and Smart Workplaces. What You’ll Do: Lead the end-to-end pre-sales cycle — from RFI/RFP to contract. Design innovative, client-specific solutions with technical & commercial impact. Present at CxO level and steer proposal strategies & financial models. Collaborate closely with Portfolio, Service Desk, Field, and Digital Workplace teams. Support deal shaping with strong knowledge of ITIL, SIAM, Automation, and cost analysis. What You’ll Bring: Have strong experience in pre-sales or solution architecture. Experience with €M+ managed service deals. Deep technical expertise in modern ICT stack and enterprise IT services. Strong German (C1) and English communication skills. Certifications: ITIL v3/v4 required; SIAM, ISO20000 desirable.