CSC And Symantec Hook Up To Offer Security Services

Two major forces in the security arena -- Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) and Symantec -- have entered into an alliance for the first time to offer end-to-end integrated managed security services worldwide.

According to Chris Steinbach, CSC's vice president of global security solutions, the alliance opens up new customer doors for the integrator.

"It [provides access to the midmarket and small market. Our managed security has grown up on the back of mega-global outsourcing deals. We have not been able to attack the smaller pure-play types of offerings," Steinbach tells VARBusiness. "It also gives Symantec a couple of things, including a potential expanding market into CSC's customer base on a selected basis. We will turn them on to [some of our] high-level accounts, migrating some of our accounts to this partnershp. It also allows Symantec to respond in a more robust way to their customers' requirements. Now they can bring a larger portfolio of services through CSC."

CSC (No. 2 on the 2004 VARBusiness 500) will transfer some up of its existing managed services accounts to Cupertino, Calif.-based Symantec. As part of the alliance, Symantec will provide key elements of its security monitoring services, including intrusion detection, security device management, data analysis and correlation.

"They will take care of blocking and tackling," Steinbach explains. "This will allow us to push out of managed security services, and allows us to focus on other aspects of our portfolio in the life cycle of security services." These new outsourced services will be introduced soon, he says.

El Segundo, Calif.-based CSC cooked up the deal, Steinbach says. The two companies started aggressive discussions about six months ago.

"It made more and more sense, the more we talked," he says. "It's a very big deal. These are two organizations regarded as competitors."

The alliance will operate in both the public and private sectors.