He worked in Paramus, New Jersey, for the U.S. military’s Strategic Air Command control system and then in Alexandria, Virginia, for the Defense Communications Agency.
While in Israel, Gartner was recruited by International Business Machines (IBM) to lead its Systems Engineering staff serving emerging European and Mideast markets.
[3][4] Gartner rose steadily at IBM, eventually moving to its White Plains, New York, offices to become Manager of Market Information in the Data Processing Division, and a leading figure in the company’s department of commercial analysis.
[5] In 1970, despite having no background in security analysis, Gartner was hired by EF Hutton to cover IBM and the burgeoning computer industry.
[1] Gartner introduced a series of innovations to the practice of security analysis, some of which foreshadowed the research techniques and marketing theories that would distinguish his later firms.
These included chart-and-audiotape programs to deliver his analysis to clients in a more rapid and digestible manner than was customary;[6][7] “chunking” lengthy research into shorter pieces with bottom-line emphasis, bridging the gap between the massive generalizations at most brokerage houses and the heavy technological data put out by market research firms;[8] and distributing to clients a relentless flow of ancillary content in the form of daily short-takes and advice that became known as “sunflowers.”[3] Gartner also developed a reputation for going against the grain and accurately predicting computer trends and stock movements,[7][8][9][10] with Stock Market Innovators, an industry trade paper, noting that “a remarkable number of his long-term forecasts have proven prophetic.”[11] Some of these forecasts extended to developments that would come to pass after his time as an active analyst had ended, as when Gartner described in highly specific terms the capabilities, features, and challenges of what would become mass-produced personal computers.
[12][13][6] While working at Oppenheimer and Co. in the late 1970s, Gartner realized that his investor insights would be valuable to computer manufacturers and end users too.
Gartner sold to vendors, plus users (generally large enterprises and other organizations, such as government agencies), plus investors and consulting firms.
Gartner Group was initially financed by Bessemer Venture Partners and E.M. Warburg Pincus, with Bank Paribas joining a year later.
[citation needed] Raising capital from venture firms allowed Gartner to build a nationwide sales organization, the first of its kind in the industry.
[2] Having come from Wall Street, Gartner adopted the idea of employing senior industry people, who were in fact "peers" of their prospective clients.
Other innovations were introduced, in areas such as research-hiring interview methods, conferences including the breakthrough Symposium, inquiry systems to connect clients with internal analysts.
[16] Gartner Group was ranked among the fastest growing private firms in the U.S. (by Inc. Magazine) until it went public in 1986, whereupon it was listed for several years among the best small companies in America (by Business Week, e.g. #9 overall, and #1 in profitability, in 1987).
In 1990, Gartner led a successful leveraged buyout of the firm financed by Information Partners, a private equity fund owned by Bain Capital and Dun & Bradstreet.
In less than four years from first shipment (April 1, 1996, to December 1999), this innovative firm became the fastest growing technology advisory consulting company in history, generating a run rate from zero to over $65 million, with more than 1,200 enterprise clients.
Gartner lived in Aspen, Colorado, and Stamford, Connecticut, and was involved in business ventures, athletics, and classical music.
Gartner has also written extensively, for example, the AMA journal, series of articles for Computer Decisions and Information Week magazines, and the forward and much of Chapter 7, in “The E-Marketplace…Strategies for success in B2B eCommerce”, by Warren Raisch (McGraw Hill, 2001).