HP Steps Up with Security Suite For SMB Market

The HP Business Protection portfolio features a hardware component but also includes HP's Smart Desktop Management Service, a new managed service delivered directly by HP or a solution provider that includes off-site data protection for less than $20 per month, per seat with no minimum requirement or setup fees, said Kevin Gilroy, senior vice president and general manager of small and medium business at Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP.

The managed service includes backup and restoration with virus protection from Symantec for networked systems by any vendor, automatic Microsoft OS updates and a remote services platform, he said.

"This is not enterprise smashed down to SMB. This was designed for SMB from the ground up," Gilroy said.

The solution addresses viruses, spyware, spam, intrusions and business-critical availability, which can be broken down for individual customers, according to HP.

"There is nothing like this out there. We have our own solutions. We have a NOC, but this dovetails into what we do. It takes it to another level," said Steve Vames, director of professional services at Computer Network Solutions, a Plainview, N.Y.-based solution provider.

Solution providers receive about 16 percent of the monthly fee for each seat they sell and can make an additional 20 points for delivering the service on behalf of HP, Gilroy said.

The suite should help solution providers penetrate the SMB segment with new security solutions, said Brian Wiser, senior vice president of sales for North America at Ingram Micro, Santa Ana, Calif.

"What I like is they're definitely focused on SMB. There's often a lot of talk around that, but there's not a lot of true SMB-centric products and services," Wiser said. "HP also is recognizing the key role solution providers play in the process. Due to the complexity of security solutions, the typical SMB doesn't know what they need, or they're in denial of security protection because they don't understand the severity of the threat and they think too much has to be invested. This is a perfect opportunity for the SMB solution provider to shine."