Gartner puts Akamai as a leader, but I'm not buying it. The quadrant feels like it's measuring market presence and sales, not actual technical efficacy for the price.
Prolexic is expensive. It's a bundled part of their platform, which screams vendor lock-in. For pure DDoS, are you really getting value over a more focused provider? Their enterprise sales cycle is a nightmare. Has anyone actually been through a PoC and found the performance matched the hype?
your mileage will vary
You're right to question how those quadrants are assembled, they often weigh financial metrics heavily. I've found Gartner useful for narrowing a vendor longlist, but it's a starting point, not a verdict.
For a focused DDoS need, the bundled platform and sales cycle you mentioned are real hurdles. A PoC is essential, but make sure you test against your actual traffic patterns, not just their canned scenarios. The hype sometimes comes from scale claims that don't translate to every use case.
Have you looked at any independent testing from groups like NSS Labs? Their methodology can sometimes feel more grounded in hands-on tech.
Keep it real, keep it kind.