Solving the Security Puzzle

In 2003, Cisco Systems didn't have enough of a presence in the security space to even be included in the VARBusinessAnnual Report Card (ARC) Security Management Software category. Now, the company has won this category two years running, sharing the top spot in 2004 with Computer Associates and in 2005 with Trend Micro.

Cisco has built a full range of security solutions--firewalls, intrusion-prevention and detection, and security-management systems--that complement its leading networking gear, and has integrated many technologies for its self-defending network strategy. That has made it the security vendor of choice for many enterprise customers and solution providers.

In 2004, the company had a leading 30 percent share of the network-security appliances and software market, leading the firewall, intrusion-detection and VPN sectors. It's now beginning to aim for the lucrative SMB market.

"None of the other security vendors have an all-inclusive solution; they just have pieces of a solution," says Tim Carney, CEO of the Network Guys, a security solution provider in Fremont, Calif. "Cisco simply is more inclusive of everything from a security point of view."

Evidently, that includes Symantec, which has long been viewed as the security pacesetter. The company has a strong market share in the antivirus, e-mail security and consumer-computing protection areas. But after winning the Security Management Software category in 2003, Symantec is getting surprisingly low marks by solution providers. That suggests its often-trumpeted commitment to expanding its presence in the enterprise hasn't fully appealed to the channel.

Symantec scored particularly low in Support and Partnership, which could be due to a perceived (or actual) lack of focus since its acquisition of data-storage vendor Veritas. But another part may be that solution providers see Symantec's competitors' solutions as either better-integrated, as in Cisco's case, or more nimble and keeping pace with the latest security threats, as with Trend Micro.

This year's co-winner is Trend Micro, which stealthily assembled an array of solutions that resonate with the channel. Partners gave the Japan-based security company very high marks for innovation on its PC-cillin Internet Security 2005 and for its ScanMail for Microsoft Exchange. And, in March, VARBusiness awarded the company a five-star rating for the breadth and depth of its partner programs.

Contributing to Trend Micro's success is its focus on spyware and other emerging malware threats--two of security's most headline-grabbing headaches. Further, Trend Micro's acquisition of antispyware developer Intermute and other aggressive moves in this space have made the company a more attractive security partner.

"For the past year, we've seen spyware become a big threat to consumers and corporate users," says Trend Micro CEO Eva Chen. "It has a lot of gray areas that require different processes and expertise to differentiate, which is why Trend Micro needed to expand resources and activity in the spyware space."

For Trend Micro and other vendors, it would be wise not to be complacent. The security sector is rampantly consolidating among vendors, and network-security threats are increasing in volume and complexity. Customers and channel partners are demanding ever more robust and comprehensive solutions, making security the most volatile IT sector. Fluctuating ARC scores represent just that. High-flying security vendors can fall from grace if they don't keep pace.

"Companies have had to build out their security solutions pretty quickly, and future technologies, such as firewall encryption, will make that easier over the next year or two," says Adam Gray, CTO of Novacoast, a network security services consultant and Symantec partner in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Vendors that help solution providers anticipate new network-security threats could win ARC rewards in 2006.