Enterprise network has become the most central and critical component of day to day operations. It comes as no surprise that IT Infrastructure and Operations (I&O) leaders are constantly looking to optimize costs, without compromising on the availability, performance, resilience and security of the enterprise network.
Download 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services
However, most enterprises lack the in-house capabilities to manage today’s highly complex networks. This is exactly where the role of specialized Managed Network Services (MNS) providers comes in. In a bid to help I&O leaders choose the optimal MNS provider, Gartner® released its 2023 Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services (MNS).
ATSG, a leading global provider of Managed IT Services and innovative Technology Solutions, is recognized as a Leader in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services (MNS). 2023 marks the second consecutive year in a row that ATSG has been recognized by Gartner® as a Leader in the MNS space.
Download 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services
A Glimpse of Leaders in 2023 Magic Quadrant™ for MNS
The Leaders quadrant is the most sought-after spot in the Magic Quadrant™. The MNS providers recognized as Leaders demonstrate the highest potential in terms of their vision, and the strongest ability to translate that vision into viable, enterprise grade network management solutions.
Apart from ATSG, the other service providers that were able to secure a spot in the Leaders quadrant for 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for MNS are Microland, MetTel, HCLTech, Wipro, Hughes and NTT Data.
Which MNS Capabilities are Offered by Leaders?
The following capabilities are offered by Leaders in the Magic Quadrant™ for MNS:
- A Service Delivery Platform (SDP) that offers both visibility and ease of managing the entire network, from “a single pane of glass”.
- Service Management takes care of the entire lifecycle of network management activities, including customer support.
- Operations Automation delivers the actual value to client enterprises, by managing network operations, the service delivery platform, and customer experience (CX).
Customer Experience includes all the customer or user facing activities and functions of the platform, whose functionality will depend on the type of service model.
Customer Experience (CX)
By delivering a matchless customer experience, the highest levels of Customer Satisfaction were reported by ATSG’s MNS clients.
Firewall as a Service (FWaaS)
ATSG’s network security capabilities, being offered for customer premise equipment (CPE) in particular, were ranked highly attractive in terms of both pricing and effectiveness.
Robust Data Integrity
ATSG ensures data integrity by auditing and reporting of the service delivery platform, the devices and services being managed by the platform, and the platform itself.
What Truly Differentiates ATSG from Other Leaders?
Let us discuss the key differentiating features of ATSG’s Managed Network Services (MNS) capabilities, delivered via the ATSG OPTX™ Platform:
Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps)
The ATSG OPTX Platform leverages Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations or AIOps capabilities to deliver exceptional network performance, availability and problem remediation. AI driven algorithms monitor key network performance metrics in real-time, and benchmark them with pre-defined performance parameters.
As soon as there is any degradation in network performance, our intelligent platform will alert your IT team, and our certified professionals in case of a fully managed service model, for immediate remediation, and restoration of network performance to the expected levels.
Business Impact Monitoring (BIM)
No business can afford its mission critical workloads and processes to fail, or even suffer from substantial performance issues. This is where the business impact monitoring (BIM) capabilities of our ATSG OPTX™ Platform really come in. Our platform will identify critical network components and processes, which will then be constantly monitoring for proactive and preventive alerting capabilities, before there is any actual adverse impact.
This BIM capability of our intelligent platform enables your IT teams to perform not only preventive network maintenance and troubleshooting, but also helps a lot in capacity planning for the future, particularly during periods of high network strain. This in turn enables your IT infrastructure to deliver exceptional performance, even during peak usage.
Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
Most network performance issues are dealt with a fire-fighting mindset or orientation. But with the ATSG OPTX™ Platform, the primary focus is on Root Cause Analysis (RCA), which implies that our focus is on identifying the exact underlying cause of a network performance issue, and taking corrective action accordingly. That way, the chances of recurrence are either eliminated, or minimized.
Intelligent Automation
At the heart of ATSG OPTX™ Platform design lies an unwavering commitment towards delivering intelligent automation to our valuable clients. We believe in intelligent network management capabilities, which are focused not only on exceptional visibility, monitoring and performance, but go one step ahead in the form of problem identification and timely remediation.
The Strengths and Weaknesses of Other MNS Providers
Now that we have covered ATSG’s class leading Managed Network Services and capabilities, let us briefly discuss the strengths and weaknesses of other key MNS providers that made it to the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services (MNS):
Microland
Like ATSG, Microland is also among the Leaders in the Magic Quadrant™. Its strength is network automation and orchestration capabilities, which were ranked highly for performance.
The challenges for Microland include a small revenue size, a lengthy customer on-boarding cycle, and inability to offer customized network security.
MetTel
This MNS provider is also among the Leaders in the Magic Quadrant™. Its main strength is network automation performance, which is rated among the highest among the Leaders.
The challenges that were highlighted by Gartner® for MetTel include customer dissatisfaction with the level and responsiveness of customer support. The vendor also offers limited Network Access Control (NAC) capabilities.
HCLTech
This MNS provider is also among the Leaders quadrant. HCLTech’s overall Managed Network Services (MNS) capabilities were rated among the highest in the selected vendors.
The limitations of HCLTech’s MNS offering include lagging options in SD-WAN OEM support. The pricing for its network firewall solution was also reported as highest among the Leaders.
Wipro
Gartner® has placed Wipro in the Leaders quadrant too. Wipro’s major strength was its strong incident management and troubleshooting capabilities.
The highlighted challenges for Wipro included slow automation progress, delays in customer onboarding post contract execution, and a steep pricing for network security.
Hughes
Also known was Hughes Network Systems, the MNS provider is also among the Leaders quadrant. The service provider’s main strength is its very attractive pricing.
The challenges for Hughes include lacking functionality of its Service Delivery Platform (SDP), limited integration, only to the extent of case management, and slow progress on network security capabilities.
NTT Data
This vendor is also among the Leaders in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services (MNS). Its main strength is standardized service delivery capabilities, resulting in consistently high service quality.
The challenges for NTT Data include customer dissatisfaction with how new technologies were implemented, inexperience and limited language support. The vendor offers limited visibility and transparency on the network security side.
Kyndryl
This MNS provider is included in the Niche Players quadrant. Kyndryl’s main strength is its private 5G service delivery capabilities, and a drive for constant process improvement.
The challenges for Kyndryl include lesser interest in the customer, if willingness to avail significant professional services is not shown. Some customers have also reported major differences in the service proposal, and what is actually delivered by the vendor.
According to Gartner®, Kyndryl’s security portfolio is also lacking maturity and completeness, especially as compared to the Leaders in the Magic Quadrant™.
Conclusion
Recognition in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services (MNS) is indeed a notable milestone for any vendor.
Having said that, ATSG is the only MNS provider in the Magic Quadrant™ with a fully indigenous network management software solution, in addition to a highly capable and mature Service Delivery Platform (SDP).
The factors that truly set ATSG apart from the competition, and other Leaders in the Magic Quadrant™, are its highly intelligent OPTX™ platform, which comes equipped with Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps) and Business Impact Monitoring (BIM) capabilities.
The AI driven Root Cause Analysis (RCA) capabilities of ATSG OPTX™ platform zero-in on the actual performance inhibitors within your enterprise network. This enables your organization to undertake targeted actions and eliminate, or at least minimize the chances for recurrence.
ATSG’s recognition as a Leader in the 2023 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed Network Services (MNS), for the 2nd year in a row, is a testament to our unwavering commitment towards process improvement, constant innovation and stellar customer experiences.
Contact ATSG for industry leading Managed Network Services (MNS), whether its network visibility, performance, monitoring, incident response or security.
Disclaimer
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services, Ted Corbett, Bjarne Munch, Lisa Pierce, Danielle Young, and Jon Dressel. November 8, 2023.
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 ATSG.
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
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