What is a service orchestration automation platform (SOAP)?

According to Gartner, a Service Orchestration and Automation Platform (SOAP) is described as follows: “Service orchestration and automation platforms are essential for delivering IT services through complex workloads. These platforms unify workload automation, workflow orchestration and data pipelines across on-premises and cloud-native architectures.” SOAPs adapt to use cases for application architectures, cloud-native infrastructure and data pipelines. Thus, they complement DevOps initiatives and integrate with toolchains to standardize digital business processes. Infrastructure and operations leaders (I&O leaders) can use SOAPs to design and implement business services with customer-focused agility, improving SLA outcomes and reducing operational costs.

What is the Gartner Magic Quadrant™?

”A Magic Quadrant™ provides a graphical competitive positioning of four types of technology providers in markets where growth is high and provider differentiation is distinct: Leaders execute well against their current vision and are well-positioned for tomorrow. Leaders execute well against their current vision and are well-positioned for tomorrow. Visionaries understand where the market is going or have a vision for changing market rules, but do not yet execute well. Niche Players focus successfully on a small segment or are unfocused and do not out-innovate or outperform others. Challengers execute well today or may dominate a large segment but do not demonstrate an understanding of market direction.” Source: Gartner Magic Quadrant Research Methodology

Redwood Software, parent company of Tidal, was named a 2026 Magic Quadrant™ for SOAP Leader 3x. Get the Gartner® report

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Redwood Software named a Leader in 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for SOAP third year in a row

Gartner® has again recognized Redwood Software as a Leader in the 2026 Magic Quadrant™ for Service Orchestration and Automation Platforms (SOAP) report.Get the report

A Gartner Magic Quadrant™ is a culmination of research in a specific market, giving you a wide-angle view of the relative positions of the market’s competitors.

We believe being recognized as a Leader for the third year in a row is a direct result of the powerful intersection of customer obsession, forward-thinking vision and relentless execution.

Positioned furthest in Completeness of Vision

In our opinion, Redwood Software’s position as furthest in Completeness of Vision is built on more than three decades of automation expertise and over a decade of pioneering SaaS-based SOAP delivery — and it points to where we’re taking the industry next. We feel what began with core job scheduling and event-driven automation has grown into orchestration with AI embedded across the entire automation lifecycle. We believe Redwood drives real operational efficiency for leading enterprises, today and as their needs evolve.

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Download the complete report to see the full analysis, discover why Redwood Software was recognized as a Leader and streamline the process of selecting the best partner for your digital transformation journey.

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Gartner SOAP FAQs

What is a service orchestration automation platform (SOAP)?

According to Gartner, a Service Orchestration and Automation Platform (SOAP) is described as follows: “Service orchestration and automation platforms are essential for delivering IT services through complex workloads. These platforms unify workload automation, workflow orchestration and data pipelines across on-premises and cloud-native architectures.”

SOAPs adapt to use cases for application architectures, cloud-native infrastructure and data pipelines. Thus, they complement DevOps initiatives and integrate with toolchains to standardize digital business processes.

Infrastructure and operations leaders (I&O leaders) can use SOAPs to design and implement business services with customer-focused agility, improving SLA outcomes and reducing operational costs.
What is the Gartner Magic Quadrant™?
”A Magic Quadrant™ provides a graphical competitive positioning of four types of technology providers in markets where growth is high and provider differentiation is distinct:
- Leaders execute well against their current vision and are well-positioned for tomorrow.
- Leaders execute well against their current vision and are well-positioned for tomorrow.
- Visionaries understand where the market is going or have a vision for changing market rules, but do not yet execute well.
- Niche Players focus successfully on a small segment or are unfocused and do not out-innovate or outperform others.
- Challengers execute well today or may dominate a large segment but do not demonstrate an understanding of market direction.”
Source: Gartner Magic Quadrant Research Methodology

Gartner, Inc. Magic Quadrant for Service Orchestration and Automation Platforms. Hassan Ennaciri, Daniel Betts, etl. 5 August 2026.

GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally, and MAGIC QUADRANT is a registered trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates and are used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

These graphics were published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from https://www.tidalsoftware.com/resources/report/gartner-soap-magic-quadrant.