Gideon Gartner passes away

Gideon Gartner, who set up global corporate technology advisory company Gartner Group, has passed away at the age of 85.

Gideon Gartner. Photo: Esther Dyson CC BY-NC 2.0

"We are greatly saddened by the death of our company’s founder and former chairman and chief executive, Gideon Gartner," Gartner Group said in a statement.

"Gideon was a passionate entrepreneur, industry pioneer and highly respected individual who dedicated his life to his work, music and family.

"All of us at Gartner mourn the loss of our former colleague and extend our deepest sympathies to his family."

Born in 1935 in the then Mandatory Palestine, Gartner was educated in New York City.

He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1956, and a master's degree from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 1960.

Before founding the firm that bore his name in 1979, Gartner worked at IBM in an engineering role, but moved into technology analysis on Wall Street in the '70s.

Targeting corporate clients, Gartner Group set out to provide IT analysis and research, with peer-level senior industry advisers and a wide-ranging remit.

He served as the Gartner Group's chief executive and chairman until 1991 and went on to form the GiGa Information Group enterprise IT consultancy firm in 1995.