Gartner defines the IT asset disposition (ITAD) market with three service categories: core disposition services, secondary hardware services and ancillary life cycle services. Core disposition services are essential to ITAD processes and evaluated on a make-or-buy scale. Secondary hardware services involve acquiring used equipment from ITAD providers. Ancillary life cycle services, such as software harvesting and redeployment, are offered by full-service ITAD providers. ITAD is crucial for IT sustainability, mitigating Scope 3 emissions and supporting the circular economy.
Gartner defines the Microsoft 365 implementation and support services market as services provided by third-party systems integrators to support deployment, consolidation, management and optimization of Microsoft tools like Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, collaboration platforms and Copilot. Microsoft 365 solutions address clients’ critical considerations, such as security, compliance, integration and life cycle management. In addition, these service integrators also provide readiness assessment, user directory preparation, network remediation, data migration, system integration, risk mitigation and organizational change management activities. Enterprises are increasingly prioritizing productivity and collaboration tools to boost operational efficiency and streamline daily operations. They use Microsoft 365 solutions to enhance productivity and enable seamless collaboration across their organization. Many organizations face significant challenges in the effective implementation and continuous support of Microsoft 365 solutions. They are increasingly in search of effective implementation and support partners as the needs of business drive organizations to use Microsoft 365. Need for Microsoft 365 services may vary for each organization, but service providers should at least cover the following areas, providing management, operations and support across these key activities: M365 tenant administration M365 service configuration M365 service administration M365 user administration Monitoring and reporting Incident management Coordination and integration
Gartner defines Microsoft product support services as support for Microsoft products, delivered either directly from Microsoft or indirectly from an alternative support provider. Technical support services for Microsoft products help customers in medium to large organizations resolve operational problems. (Smaller organizations likely use free support.) Gartner considers any provider of support services for Microsoft products — including Microsoft itself — to be part of the market for Microsoft product support services.
Gartner defines the outsourced digital workplace services (ODWS) market as the capabilities required of a provider to deliver consulting, implementation and/or support services to end users who depend on endpoint devices and applications to conduct business. Services offered by ODWS vendors include integrated and ubiquitous digital workplace (DW) services to increase employee engagement, productivity and digital dexterity in support of the organization’s business strategy.
Gartner defines software asset management (SAM) managed services as services that expert providers deliver to manage the software, SaaS and cloud assets of end-user organizations. Their delivery includes skills, processes, technologies and governance to transform and run the SAM discipline on behalf of the client. SAM managed services employ the providers’ proprietary skills and methodologies to transform and run SAM and FinOps disciplines on behalf of the client, augmenting the client’s resources. Delivered by skilled resources and leveraging the provider’s expertise, intellectual property (IP), rigor and best practices, SAM managed services address the gap in available SAM and FinOps skills, enable scalability and enhance maturity. At the same time, they deliver day-to-day SAM and FinOps activities and oversee the full life cycle. SAM managed services are delivered directly to end-user customers, on either a continuous or a project basis, employing required discipline to meet software and cloud cost optimization, and governance objectives.
Gartner defines software resellers as enablers of software and cloud solutions acquisition. Software resellers engage in responsible supply, operating as intermediaries between end-user organizations and an extensive array of over 1,000 software and cloud vendors. The mix of vendors will vary for each reseller but must incorporate Microsoft’s Licensing Solution Partner status. The primary competence is provision of licensing expertise by specialist resources navigating licensing options, nuances and changes to inform acquisition and preparation for renewals. Core software reseller functions and revenue are typically augmented by tail spend management, commercial consulting, software asset management, FinOps, and adoption services.