For decades, Gartner’s Magic Quadrant has served as the industry’s compass, charting the rise of leaders, challengers, visionaries, and niche players in the IT ecosystem. It’s more than a framework—it’s a mirror, reflecting shifting priorities and driving competition. From the growth of cloud computing to the advancements in artificial intelligence, Gartner's Magic Quadrant has consistently provided a clear perspective on the technologies and companies shaping the future. It serves as a reliable reference for understanding industry shifts and identifying key innovators. Gartner sets the benchmarks that shape both customer demands and vendor strategies. In fact, Gartner reports that by 2026, over 70% of IT spending will be influenced by vendors positioned in a Magic Quadrant.

Today, vendors measure achievement in sales: units sold, revenue growth, and quarterly targets. But tomorrow’s leaders must focus on growing recurring revenue from multi-lifecycle products.

But as the world grapples with a climate crisis, is it time to leverage Gartner’s influence to lead a new race—one that measures sustainability as fiercely as performance? What if the industry’s next evolution wasn’t about faster chips or bigger clouds, but hardware that lasts longer, operates smarter, and contributes less to environmental degradation?

Introducing the “Lifecycle Leadership” Quadrant

Imagine a new quadrant where the metric isn’t just market share or innovation—it’s lifecycle impact. The Lifecycle Leadership Quadrant would spotlight vendors excelling in longevity and circularity, rewarding those who design products with multiple lifecycles in mind.

Today, the lifecycle of IT hardware often ends prematurely. Gartner has noted that 80% of IT assets are disposed of long before their potential is fully utilized, contributing to the growing global e-waste problem. But what if we flipped the script?

Picture a server. Instead of serving one purpose and ending up in a landfill as a whole or in part, it’s reimagined, remanufactured, and redeployed—perhaps three, even four times—across many years. Vendors could generate recurring revenue by relicensing each lifecycle, transforming single-use assets into high-margin, multi-life products. This shift wouldn’t just extend hardware value; it would redefine profitability.

During my career, I spearheaded remanufacturing initiatives that turned supply chain challenges into high-margin opportunities. We remanufactured used products, giving them a second life, and saw firsthand how this approach built customer trust while reducing waste. Applying these principles, Gartner could inspire a new competitive standard where vendors race to innovate not just in performance but in longevity.

The Circular Return: Closing the Loop

Longevity is just one piece of the puzzle. A true lifecycle leader must also embrace circularity. Circular Return ensures that when a product reaches the end of its usable life, it is responsibly disassembled, recycled, and reintegrated back into the supply chain.

This model is no longer just a theoretical concept—it is a critical, practical approach that is already being implemented across industries, with significant implications for both the economy and the environment. Automotive and fashion sectors have embraced circular principles to great effect, demonstrating the power of reusing and recycling. Tesla, for example, recycles batteries to reclaim valuable raw materials like lithium and nickel, reducing the need for mining and the associated environmental costs. Patagonia’s "Worn Wear" program extends the life of garments, diverting textiles from landfills and promoting a more sustainable consumption model.

Yet, the stakes are even higher for the IT sector, which is at a pivotal moment. The vast quantities of precious metals like cobalt, gold, and other rare earth elements used in electronics manufacturing are finite and often extracted through environmentally harmful practices. As global demand for devices like smartphones, laptops, and IT Assets grows, so too does the depletion of these resources. The cost of raw materials continues to rise, and as these materials become scarcer, the environmental degradation from mining intensifies. If these resources are not recaptured and recycled efficiently, entire ecosystems could be lost, and the cost of hardware production could spiral, exacerbating the strain on both our environment and economy. Circular practices in IT could alleviate these risks by reducing the need for new mining, lowering costs, and mitigating ecological damage—all of which are vital to ensuring the sector’s long-term viability.

The World Economic Forum reports that adopting circular models across industries could reduce emissions by 39% and cut material consumption by 28%. IT vendors stand at the forefront of this potential transformation. Imagine an industry where no device ends up in a landfill, and every component finds its way back into production.

Driving the Change We Need

For this vision to succeed, the industry must redefine how it views success. Today, vendors measure achievement in sales: units sold, revenue growth, and quarterly targets. But tomorrow’s leaders must focus on growing recurring revenue from multi-lifecycle products.

This isn’t a sacrifice—it’s an opportunity. Circularity isn’t a competitor; it’s a business lever. By adopting lifecycle leadership, vendors can unlock recurring revenue streams, strengthen customer loyalty, and align their growth with sustainability goals. Gartner has always shaped what matters in IT. A Lifecycle Leadership Quadrant could redefine excellence for the next generation.

The key takeaway? Vendors showcasing this strategy won’t just do good—they’ll also do well. Circularity can drive profitability, not just planet-saving policies. Let’s turn the tide. By spotlighting Lifecycle Leadership, Gartner could inspire a new era of sustainable innovation, where success isn’t measured by how much we consume but by how much we sustain.

Sources

Gartner, What is the Magic Quadrant?
Accenture, Circular Economy: The $4.5 Trillion Opportunity.
World Economic Forum, The Circular Economy Imperative.
UN E-Waste Report, 2023: Global Recycling Gap.