Security Mania

That emerging technology and FUD will be front and center this week at RSA Security's 13th annual conference. The event, which has become the Super Bowl of sorts for the security industry, is expected to attract more than 250 vendors and more than 10,000 attendees to San Francisco's Moscone Center. CRN Managing Editor Charlene O'Hanlon, who will be on scene, writes about vendors' drive to provide end-to-end security offerings in this issue (see page 6).

Check Point Software Technologies, one of the players attempting to make that end-to-end move, is the subject of our cover story this week. Anthony Daley, senior vice president and general manager of the Americas at Westcon, one of Check Point's distribution partners, says Check Point's move to address every segment of the security market makes the vendor a more imposing figure in the security world. What's more, he says, Check Point has demonstrated channel commitment. Some vendors' channel aspirations change "quarter to quarter," says Daley, adding that is not the case with Check Point.

Kevin Schoonover, director of engineering for Arrow's Enterprise Storage Solutions Group, which carries Computer Associates International's eTrust line, says solution providers that are not getting into the security market are missing out on a huge opportunity. Indeed, the security sector is one of the few segments of the IT market that has bucked the IT spending slump. Schoonover, for one, said he advises VARs that are starting to offer security products to pick up the Oculan security appliance for their SMB engagements.

Every solution provider on the planet should be providing security solutions. There is simply no excuse for sitting on the sidelines. And, of course, the key in finding the right products to go to market with is making sure the vendor's channel commitment is rock solid and not some passing fancy. Those solution providers that put vendors to the channel test will find success. Those that don't will find themselves scrambling to find the way out of their own security nightmare.

Which security vendors pass the channel litmus test? Let me know at (781) 839-1221 or via e-mail at [email protected].