Gartner defines backup and data protection platforms as technologies that capture point-in-time copies of enterprise data for the purpose of recovering it from multiple data loss scenarios, enhancing data protection initiatives, and expanding data insights and access capabilities. These technologies protect enterprise data, applications and infrastructure in hybrid, multicloud and SaaS environments. Backup and data protection platforms are available as software-only, integrated appliances and vendor-developed and hosted backup as a service (BaaS).
BaaS vendors deliver data protection as a service by hosting the backup software and the primary backup repository in privately operated or public cloud data centers. The backup infrastructure, including backup software and backup servers and storage, is managed by the BaaS vendor. Customers are still responsible for implementing backup policies and performing recovery tasks, but are not responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and operation of the backup system.
Cloud Computing refers to products and services that enable the delivery, management, and optimization of computing resources over the internet. This category includes markets that focus on empowering organizations to seamlessly store, migrate, manage, and optimize workloads across diverse cloud environments, including public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud models.
Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) market provides for the recovery of enterprise applications at another location in the event of a disaster. The provider can deliver the service as a fully managed, assisted recovery or as a self-service offering. DRaaS is designed to ensure business continuity by providing organizations with a cloud-based solution for recovering critical workloads and data in the event of a disruption, outage or disaster. This service is particularly valuable for organizations that lack the resources, expertise or geographically distanced secondary data centers required for traditional disaster recovery strategies. DRaaS addresses the need for rapid, reliable recovery, enabling organizations to minimize downtime and data loss, and to meet their business continuity objectives.
Gartner defines an email security solution as a product that secures email infrastructure. Its primary purpose is to protect against malicious messages (phishing, social engineering, malware) or unsolicited messages (spam, marketing). Other functions include email data protection; domain-based message authentication, reporting and conformance (DMARC); investigation; and remediation through a dedicated console. Email security solutions may also support nonemail collaboration tools, such as those for document management and instant messaging. Email security tools protect an organization’s email from spam, phishing, malware attacks, account takeover and data loss. They may provide capabilities for data loss prevention, encryption, domain authentication and security education, as well as advanced protections against business email compromise. Email security platforms give cybersecurity teams visibility into email-related security incidents, support investigation and automated remediation, and enable management of both inbound and outbound email delivery. Email security solutions often integrate with other network, identity and endpoint security controls, and may also support collaboration tools and email relay capabilities.
Gartner defines an endpoint management tool as a platform or tool that provides configuration management, patching and deployment of operating systems and applications for computers or mobile devices. Endpoint management tools are used to provide management capabilities for endpoint devices of various operating systems. These tools help maintain cybersecurity hygiene and enable end-user computing operations and automation by facilitating operating system and application deployment, patching and configuration management.
Gartner defines the enterprise wired and wireless LAN infrastructure market as the hardware and software that enables local connectivity for users and devices. The infrastructure components include enterprise-class wired switches and wireless access points, and the management software that secures, manages, tests, optimizes and automates the network. Organizations across vertical markets rely on enterprise wired and wireless network infrastructures to connect and transmit data for both fixed and mobile devices, enabling end users to access applications that are located either on-site, in remote private or public destinations. In addition to end-user connectivity, these infrastructures offer capabilities for diverse market needs, including: 1. Discovery, identification, security, management and segmentation of Internet of Things (IoT) and operational technology (OT) devices. 2. Design and planning for network infrastructure requirements. 3. Implement zero-touch provisioning for deployment and configuration of the network infrastructure devices. 4. Offer support, testing and maintenance for network infrastructure components. 5. Establish a resilient infrastructure to withstand disruptions and provide continuous operations. 6. Implement robust security measures to safeguard the network infrastructure. 7. Scalability and flexibility for efficient management and control plane communication processes. 8. Provides a no-touch or low-touch environment for operations on Day 2
Hardware asset management (HAM) tools are software applications and technology used by enterprise companies to manage all types of hardware assets, including IT, line of business and facilities management — regardless of location and industry. Key functionality includes the ability to: - Discover, identify, normalize, aggregate and store data for hardware assets. - Reconcile and manage the complete asset life cycle: procurement, arrival, storage, provisioning, use, transfer, service and disposition. - Govern access, visibility and control to specific assets based on the user’s role. - Optimize and integrate with other IT and financial systems for data, processes and workflow. - Flexibly assign asset ownership to a person, department or location. - Scale in record size and number of records as the organization grows. - Share standardized reports, create custom reporting and export data into other reporting systems. - Offer APIs for asset information to be ingested/entered through integration with procurement systems, software asset management (SAM) solutions or inventoried through CMDB or network discovery tools — as well as bar codes or RFID tags.
IT Infrastructure and IoT refers to the products and services that support the deployment, management, and optimization of core technology systems and connected devices across enterprise environments. This category includes markets that focus on enabling organizations to build and operate resilient, scalable, and intelligent infrastructure. It encompasses solutions for data center management, network infrastructure, and IoT connectivity—spanning on-premises, cloud, edge, and hybrid models.
Infrastructure monitoring tools capture the health and resource utilization of IT infrastructure components, no matter where they reside (e.g., in a data center, at the edge, infrastructure as a service [IaaS] or platform as a service [PaaS] in the cloud). This enables I&O leaders to monitor and collate the availability and resource utilization data of physical and virtual entities — including servers, containers, network devices, database instances, hypervisors and storage. These tools collect data in real time and perform historical data analysis or trending of the elements they monitor.
Knowledge Management (KM) Software helps organizations centralize, organize, and share information efficiently across teams. It provides a centralized repository for storing diverse content types—such as documents, presentations, and multimedia—making knowledge easily accessible and searchable. A robust search functionality ensures quick retrieval of relevant information, while features like file version history, access control, and content editing enhance collaboration and governance. These capabilities reduce duplication of effort, preserve institutional knowledge, and streamline workflows. KM software is widely used by customer support, product and operations, HR and training, and IT and compliance teams—any function that depends on consistent, accurate, and easily retrievable information.
Productivity and Collaboration refer to products and services that enhance how teams work together, manage projects, and drive innovation across the enterprise. This category includes markets that focus on enabling organizations to streamline resource planning, improve cross-functional collaboration, and boost employee engagement through integrated tools for communication, task management, and workflow optimization.
Professional services automation (PSA) platforms help services organizations manage and streamline their business operations by automating tasks and optimizing processes. They provide a centralized location for service planning and execution, enabling improved efficiency and business performance through better visibility into delivery costs and profitability. PSA platforms focused on supporting managed services providers also include integration capabilities for orchestrating and capturing additional service activity delivered through customer accounts via third-party systems and/or service providers. PSA platforms provide a centralized location for collaboration, project planning and tracking, resource allocation, contract management, service management, cost tracking, customer invoicing, and reporting and analytics. Multitenancy is a foundational aspect of PSA platforms as users support multiple customer accounts concurrently. With a focus on services delivery activity and cost capture, PSA platforms provide organizations insight into profitability overall, as well as at the account and service-line level.
Gartner defines SaaS management platforms (SMPs) as software tools that aim to help organizations discover, manage, optimize and automate the SaaS application life cycle from one centralized console. Core SMP capabilities include discovery, cost optimization, employee self-service via an application store, insights to increase adoption and automation of onboarding/offboarding activities. As SaaS adoption accelerates, IT leaders will struggle to discover and support SaaS-hosted applications in accordance with company, market or geographic policies and regulations. Increased SaaS costs — combined with limited visibility into the entire SaaS portfolio (including unapproved SaaS) and high levels of overdeployed and underconsumed licenses — result in significant financial, operational and cybersecurity risk.
Sales refers to products and services that support the end-to-end process of identifying prospects, understanding their needs, and converting opportunities into revenue. This category includes markets that focus on enabling organizations to drive business growth for lead generation, pipeline management, negotiation, and deal closure.
Software asset management (SAM) tools aim to decipher the complex and ever-changing world of software licensing. Organizations now have a diverse set of SAM tool requirements to meet. Core capability of SAM tools include discovery, normalization, reconciliation, optimization and reporting. SAM tools are third-party solutions that provide some level of automation to support tasks required to produce and maintain compliance with independent software vendor (ISV) license use rights. SAM tools provide organizations with a means to manage software throughout its life cycle and centralize the view of software within the organization. SAM tools provide data on software utilization, identify over deployed and under consumed licenses, reharvest and reallocate licenses, track renewals and financials for purchased software, and proactively identify software misconfiguration. SAM tools offer integration with third-party tools, and can provide out-of-the-box reporting capabilities and produce management dashboards. The reporting and dashboards recommend areas for optimization.