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Microsoft

Microsoft is a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant for Container Management

We’re excited to share that Microsoft has once again been named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Container Management, marking the third successive year in this esteemed position. This recognition highlights the extensive reach, innovative spirit, and tangible benefits our container offerings deliver to customers.

With services such as Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and Azure Container Apps (ACA), alongside hybrid and multi-cloud solutions via Azure Arc, Microsoft provides a complete container management solution. Whether businesses are aiming to modernise old applications, develop cloud-native solutions, or scale up new AI applications, we’re here to assist.

A comprehensive container portfolio from cloud to edge

Azure equips developers and IT operators with a wide range of container management tools. AKS stands out as a powerful and adaptable managed Kubernetes service that operates not just on Azure but also in local settings through Azure Arc. For those seeking a more straightforward, serverless option, Azure Container Apps is available, allowing for scale-to-zero capabilities and secure, isolated code execution.

This flexible strategy—ranging from in-depth control with AKS to straightforward serverless containers—seamlessly integrates with Azure’s extensive cloud services like networking, databases, and AI tools. It provides teams with a cohesive platform that enhances the developer experience, accelerates AI development, and streamlines operations.

Developer Experience: Build and Ship Faster

Empowering developers is at the heart of modern application development. We’re committed to enhancing the developer experience throughout the entire container lifecycle.

  • AKS Automatic (preview) simplifies Kubernetes for developers by creating production-ready, secure AKS clusters that include node management, scaling, updates, and CI/CD integration.
  • Automated deployments for AKS makes it easy to implement application delivery by effortlessly updating code in AKS through GitHub Actions or Azure DevOps.
  • Tools such as the Azure Developer CLI, Visual Studio Code AKS extension, and GitHub Actions simplify local development, CI/CD integration, and production deployment.
  • GitHub Copilot, utilized by over 20 million developers, integrates generative AI into container workflows efficiently, expediting tasks like creating Kubernetes manifests, Dockerfiles, and CI/CD configurations.

We’re also focusing on enhancing DevSecOps across our offerings, allowing seamless incorporation of security, testing, and governance into developer workflows. With Microsoft Defender for Containers, policy-based governance via Azure Policy, and RBAC, teams can uphold standards without hindering innovation.

AI Innovation: Building the Next Wave of AI Apps

Containers serve as the backbone for contemporary applications, especially in AI and machine learning workflows. Microsoft continues to streamline the process of executing AI workloads in containerised settings.

  • AKS supports GPU-optimised containers, allowing clients to train and deploy models either in the cloud or on the edge. Integrating with Azure Machine Learning simplifies managing the model lifecycle.
  • Azure Container Apps serverless GPUs enable efficient deployment of inference workloads with capabilities for scaling down to zero and per-second billing.
  • Microsoft also champions open-source advancements through projects like KAITO (Kubernetes AI Toolchain Operator), a CNCF sandbox initiative that facilitates the deployment of open-source models on Kubernetes.
  • Azure AI Foundry grants access to over 11,000 models, including OpenAI GPT-4 and Meta’s Llama, for developing secure, scalable AI applications.

These features empower organizations to execute AI workloads more economically, securely, and comprehensively.

Operational Simplicity: Kubernetes That Just Works

Managing containers at scale often demands profound operational insights. We’ve introduced various enhancements to assist platform and operations teams in reducing complexity and boosting efficiency.

  • Azure Kubernetes Fleet Manager allows for policy-driven governance and workload management across multiple AKS clusters, including multi-cluster updates, thereby easing enterprise-scale platform management.
  • With node auto-provisioning, AKS can intelligently select and scale the most suitable VM sizes based on workload needs, alleviating uncertainty and assisting in cost management.
  • Azure Advisor provides AKS cost-saving recommendations, pinpointing opportunities for financial savings and offering tailored, actionable insights based on your cluster’s setup.
  • Azure Arc simplifies edge and multi-cloud operations with unified Kubernetes management, leveraging GitOps, policy automation, and built-in Azure tools.

Our objective is to make Kubernetes operations as smooth as possible, whether managing a single cluster or an expansive global fleet.

Customers Are Achieving More with Azure Container Management

Businesses of all scales and sectors are utilising Azure to upgrade applications, drive AI advancements, and enhance operational agility:

  • ChatGPT, the fastest-growing application, efficiently scales AI workloads globally to 500 million users per week using Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure GPU VMs.
  • Telefônica Brasil successfully reduced call centre handling times by 9% while managing over 5.3 million monthly inquiries through their AI-driven I.Ajuda platform built on AKS.
  • The Coca-Cola Company launched a captivating AI-driven holiday campaign across 43 markets, leveraging Azure Container Apps and Azure AI Foundry, engaging over 1 million customers within just 60 days with stunning performance.
  • Hexagon modernised its SDx platform with AKS, which enabled dynamic scaling and zero downtime deployments, slashing task processing times from several days down to under an hour—boasting over 90% faster customer onboarding.
  • Delta Dental of California revamped its payment system using a hybrid Azure Kubernetes solution managed through Azure Arc, significantly reducing infrastructure costs while processing 1.5 million transactions daily.

These examples illustrate how Azure’s container management services propel businesses to be more agile, efficient, and responsive to customer needs.

Looking Ahead

We feel privileged to be acknowledged again as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Container Management, but we’re even more excited about our next steps.

In the upcoming months, you can anticipate further investments in:

  • Streamlining fleet and multi-cluster operations.
  • Expanding AKS to cater to smaller edge environments.
  • Enriching AI-powered cloud management experiences.

Our mission remains unchanged: to simplify the process of building, operating, and scaling containerized applications, making them more intelligent and secure.

Learn More

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Container Management, By Dennis Smith, Tony Iams, Wataru Katsurashima, Michael Warrilow, Lucas Albuquerque, Stephanie Bauman, 6 August 2025.

*Gartner is a trademark and service mark and Magic Quadrant is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, utilised here with permission. All rights reserved.

This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be assessed within the scope of the whole document. The Gartner document is accessible upon request here.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product, or service depicted in its research publications, nor does it advise technology users to choose only vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications are the opinions of Gartner’s research team and should not be interpreted as factual statements. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, regarding this research, including any warranties of merchantability or suitability for a specific purpose.

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