![[Fernandez pic]](/gif/1229fernandez.gif)
When Manuel Fernandez speaks, network buyers and other IT professionals
listen. Actually, it's not so much Fernandez himself, but the 2,300
consultants, analysts and other IT experts who tell Gartner's more than
9,000 clients which roads to take to networking and computing nirvana.
Gartner has become a half-billion dollar information services giant operating in more than 40 countries around the world. A good word from Gartner can get a start-up on its way to success, a questioning look from its networking or computing analysts can stop a vendor in its tracks. Fernandez has overseen remarkable growth in both Gartner's financials and its prestige. He also integrated market researchers Dataquest, Inc. and Datapro Information Services Group into the Gartner fold after acquisitions. Gartner Group sells renewable subscription services, called continuous services, which discuss industry developments, review new products and technologies, and analyze trends. The company now has more than 90 such services and 100 Dataquest market research products.
All that information doesn't come cheap, but Gartner is able to maintain an 85% annual renewal rate for its subscription services, according to its Web site.
With the Internet/intranet revolution upon us and the network landscape getting more complicated, the future looks very strong indeed for Gartner.
Among the many voices of opinion in the industry, Gartner's is the loudest, and network professionals are listening.
