I’ve previously written articles linking to the free-to-access IT service management (ITSM)-related industry analyst research reports out there. For example, here’s the article featuring key 2020 ITSM-related industry analyst reports (I didn’t do one in 2021, though). Now I’m back again with a new article that contains a refreshed list of free-to-access industry analyst reports for ITSM. As always, it leads with the coveted 2022 Gartner ITSM-related Magic Quadrant (although, as I say every time I redo this article, the Gartner report you really need for ITSM tool selection is the Gartner ITSM-related Critical Capabilities report, which is #2 below).
In this article by @SophieDanby you’ll find links to #ITSM tool vendor landing pages that give access to 11 ITSM-related research reports for free. #ESM #EX #ServiceDesk Click To TweetGet the many free-to-access industry analyst ITSM reports, including the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for IT Service Management Platforms
Many ITSM-focused industry analyst research reports sit behind paywalls. They’re usually exclusively for clients and perhaps available to anyone for a fee. However, thanks to report licensing by ITSM tool vendor marketing teams, you can read many helpful ITSM-related industry analyst reports for free. That’s if you consider sharing your email address as “free.”
In my new 2022 article, you’ll find links – and sometimes multiple links – to ITSM tool vendor landing pages that give access to the following ITSM-related research reports for free:
- 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for IT Service Management Platforms
- 2022 Gartner Critical Capabilities for IT Service Management Platforms
- Forrester, The State of the Service Desk, 2022
- Omdia Universe Enterprise Service Management 2022
- Gartner Hype Cycle for ITSM, 2022
- Forrester, ESM: The Software Platform For Knowledge Workers
- Gartner, Market Guide for Customer Service Knowledge Management Systems
- Gartner, Design and Deploy ITSM Key Performance Indicators and Metrics That Support Business Services
- Forrester, IT Operations Must Rise To Meet The Modern Business
- Gartner, 3 Simple Ways IT Service Desks Should Handle Incidents and Requests
- Gartner, A Buyer’s Guide to ITSM Platforms
For each 2022 research report, I list all the ITSM tool vendors I saw offering it (at the time of article creation) in alphabetical order. Just choose the one you prefer to provide your email details to (although far fewer reports are being licensed based on this year’s article).
1. 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for IT Service Management Platforms
It has long been the “big one” for the ITSM space. Even if you aren’t looking for a new ITSM tool, it can be interesting to at least skim through it to better understand the top end of the ITSM tool market (but remember that it relates to the vendor rather than their ITSM tool capabilities).
Looking to read the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for IT Service Management Platforms report from @Gartner_inc? @SophieDanby shares the 7 places you can access it for free. #ITSM #ServiceDesk Click To TweetThe 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for IT Service Management Platforms can usually be downloaded from most of the ITSM tool vendors included in it, including:
- Atlassian
- BMC
- EasyVista
- Freshworks
- Ivanti
- ManageEngine
- ServiceNow
- SysAid (link removed)
2. 2022 Gartner Critical Capabilities for IT Service Management Platforms
This Gartner ITSM report often gets overlooked, with everyone wanting the Gartner ITSM Magic Quadrant. As a result of this, and because only a handful of ITSM tools occupy the use-case-based top spots, fewer ITSM tool vendors license it.
However, it’s a great ITSM tool selection report. And Gartner analysts will state that it’s important for people to look at the Magic Quadrant and Critical Capabilities reports together. I really can’t overstate this – the Magic Quadrant report is about the ITSM tool vendors, whereas the Critical Capabilities report goes into more detail on the ITSM tools and their capabilities. Plus, it does this based on common use case needs.
Remember: the Magic Quadrant report is about the #ITSM tool vendors, whereas the Critical Capabilities report goes into more detail on the ITSM tools & their capabilities. This is the report you should read says @SophieDanby.… Click To TweetYou can download the “2022 Gartner Critical Capabilities for IT Service Management Platforms” report from:
3. Forrester Report: The State of the Service Desk, 2022
I think we all know that there has long been an expectations gap between what IT’s service desk metrics say about IT support performance and what employees or end-users think. This is one of those great Forrester Research reports that ask end-users what they think of their IT organization’s service desk. If nothing else, it’s a great advert for the need for employee experience management and the data and insight this brings.
Here @SophieDanby tells you how to access a great @Forrester Research reports that ask end-users what they think of their IT organization’s service desk. #ITSM #ServiceDesk Click To TweetYou can download the “The State of the Service Desk, 2022” report from:
4. Omdia Report: Omdia Universe Enterprise Service Management 2022
This is, to my knowledge, the only “top tier” enterprise service management “market” report produced in 2022 (although I have heard talk of a new report coming from Forrester.) Use it to see where ITSM tool vendors are positioned from an enterprise service management perspective (but please note the limited range of participants).
Want to see where #ITSM tool vendors are positioned from an enterprise service management perspective? Take a look at the @OmdiaHQ Universe Enterprise Service Management 2022 report says @SophieDanby. #ESM #ServiceDesk Click To TweetYou can download the “Omdia Universe Enterprise Service Management 2022” report from:
5. Gartner Report: Gartner Hype Cycle for ITSM, 2022
IT hype cycles can be both hard to understand and not necessarily a great prediction of the future. However, they open our minds to new areas, although they aren’t always made available by ITSM tool vendors. So, take this opportunity to see where Gartner thinks ITSM tool capabilities are heading (as of 2022), including near-term capabilities such as experience level agreements (XLAs). Or those that are further out, such as AI-focused problem management.
Want to see where @Gartner_inc thinks #ITSM tool capabilities are heading (as of 2022), check out the Hype Cycle for ITSM report says @SophieDanby. Click To TweetYou can download the “Gartner Hype Cycle for ITSM, 2022” report from:
- BMC – this is no longer available, so please try the Gartner Critical Capabilities and Gartner Magic Quadrant for ITSM
6. Forrester Report: ESM: The Software Platform For Knowledge Workers
In some ways, this is a re-dressing of what has been said about enterprise service management being a platform for digital transformation (which I first heard in 2015). Plus, the more recent connectivity between experience management and enterprise service management. Nonetheless, it does offer easy-to-consume insights into getting more from corporate enterprise service management initiatives.
If you're looking for easy-to-consume insights into getting more from corporate enterprise service management initiatives, @SophieDanby recommends the @Forrester report 'ESM: The Software Platform For Knowledge Workers'. #ESM #ITSM Click To TweetYou can download the “ESM: The Software Platform For Knowledge Workers” report from:
- BMC – this is no longer available, so please try the Gartner Critical Capabilities and Gartner Magic Quadrant for ITSM
7. Gartner Report: Market Guide for Customer Service Knowledge Management Systems
While this Gartner report focuses on external customers, it can easily be read from an internal support perspective (whether ITSM or enterprise service management). Again, it’s a quick way to get up to speed on where knowledge management has been, including the “bumps in the road,” and where it’s going.
Looking to get up to speed on where knowledge management has been, including the 'bumps in the road,' and where it’s going? @SophieDanby has recommendations on which report you should read. #ITSM #ServiceDesk Click To TweetYou can download the “Market Guide for Customer Service Knowledge Management Systems” report from:
8. Gartner Report: Design and Deploy ITSM Key Performance Indicators and Metrics That Support Business Services
Who doesn’t want help with their ITSM metrics? While reporting and analytics is a commonly focused on element of ITSM tool selection, it’s also consistently an area where ITSM pros feel their capabilities are lacking. The recent experience management insights on end-user perceptions of IT performance add to this. So, take this opportunity to read Gartner’s advice on IT metrics.
Who doesn’t want help with their #ITSM metrics? Access @Gartner_inc advice for free with @SophieDanby's report download recommendation. #ServiceDesk Click To TweetYou can download the “Design and Deploy ITSM Key Performance Indicators and Metrics That Support Business Services” report from:
- EasyVista (please note that since the publication of this article, it appears that EasyVista is no longer offering this report in English. For Spanish speakers, you can access this here.)
9. Forrester Report: IT Operations Must Rise To Meet The Modern Business
What’s not to like about an industry analyst report that calls out IT decision-making without data? This report is a great reminder of how all the industry talk of “data-driven decision-making” needs to be converted into action. As with most analyst reports, some of the content will be known, but there’s likely something eye-opening in it for you and your colleagues.
Here @SophieDanby shares her thoughts on which freely-available analyst report is a great reminder of how all the industry talk of 'data-driven decision-making' needs to be converted into action. #ITSM #ServiceDesk Click To TweetYou can download the “IT Operations Must Rise To Meet The Modern Business” report from:
10. Gartner Report: 3 Simple Ways IT Service Desks Should Handle Incidents and Requests
We see that ITSM pros love “back to basics” help (along with lists and statistics). So it’s great to see this need for ITSM “basics” covered by Gartner. As we’ve said for a long time, people aren’t interested in the future stuff if they can’t handle today’s challenges – and there’s still so much basic stuff that could do with improvement. Not only to improve experiences and outcomes but also to ensure that the addition of technology is built on a solid operational platform.
You can't do the 'future stuff' without the brilliant basics. As such @SophieDanby's recommending reading for getting your basics right includes a freely-available report from @Gartner_inc. #ITSM #ServiceDesk Click To TweetYou can download the “3 Simple Ways IT Service Desks Should Handle Incidents and Requests” report from:
- EasyVista
11. Gartner Report: A Buyer’s Guide to ITSM Platforms
This final shared report offers Gartner’s insights on how best to select a new ITSM tool.
You can download the “A Buyer’s Guide to ITSM Platforms” report from:
- BMC – this is no longer available, so please try the Gartner Critical Capabilities and Gartner Magic Quadrant for ITSM
Hopefully, the above list of shared reports, including the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for ITSM, is helpful to you. It seems to be getting harder to find ITSM-related industry analyst reports to include in my periodic articles for people looking for industry-analyst ITSM guidance (hence no article last year.) So, if you know of any more good ITSM research to add to this article, please add it/them as a comment below. Thank you.
Finally, look out for next year’s article when the publication of the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for ITSM Platforms will be our opportunity to share more links to free IT analyst reports.
If you liked this Gartner Magic Quadrant for ITSM article, would you like to read an article on service availability and availability management in ITSM?
Sophie Danby
Sophie is a freelance ITSM marketing consultant, helping ITSM solution vendors to develop and implement effective marketing strategies.
She covers both traditional areas of marketing (such as advertising, trade shows, and events) and digital marketing (such as video, social media, and email marketing). She is also a trained editor.
4 Responses
Hi,
3. Forrester Report: The State of the Service Desk, 2022 – URL seems to be broken.
Regards,
Sorry for the delay; I missed this comment. Can you try again please? It just worked when I tried it. Thanks, Stephen
Same happened with me
It still works for me. All I can think is that either Freshworks or your service provider is blocking it based on IP or other reason 🙁