Opportunities Continue to Grow In Security
More bang for the buck when it comes to security solutions is spurring more SMBs to protect their resources.
By Carolyn Heinze
Accessibility to more features has SMBs stepping up security in ways they hadn’t done before, due to a lack of resources. Adam Hils, principal research analyst for SMB Security at Gartner Inc., spoke with ChannelPro-SMB to discuss how solution providers can take advantage of the current opportunities the security category has to offer.
ChannelPro: What are the highest priorities for SMBs, with respect to security?
Hils: One of the highest priorities now is migrating to platforms that offer more features for the money. That kind of migration has a lot of benefits for SMBs.
ChannelPro: What are some of the features SMBs are looking for that they might not have considered in the past?
Hils: Intrusion prevention, spyware, application control–a whole range of features that they either didn’t have access to, or that they had to pay extra for. A lot of these features are being put onto endpoint platforms, so SMBs can now afford them.
ChannelPro: What challenges do SMBs face when deploying security features?
Hils: Complexity. Everyone tells SMBs that these products are plug-and-play, but in reality, very few are. If you introduce something complex into an SMB IT environment, essentially it’s going to be shelfware–and expensive shelfware. It’s not going to be implemented correctly. Another thing that is important to SMBs is services, because services reduce complexity. And with services, SMBs know they will have some level of support and they don’t have to worry.
ChannelPro: What opportunities exist for solution providers, in terms of selling security?
Hils: Some channel partners resell vendor-managed services, which is an easy sale. Other channel partners have their own operations centers and sell their own versions of services to end users–they can offer more than just reselling. We are now seeing the lifecycle for security technologies quicken. Things like data leakage are more important than ever before. Access control has also become more important.
Another thing that channel partners can do is sell remote connectivity services. We have found, in the last year or so, that SMBs are more mobile than large businesses, so they need to have a secure tunnel into their networks.
ChannelPro: Where are the missed opportunities?
Hils: Managed security services is probably the biggest. People who are used to selling boxes are not good at selling services. It requires a change in mindset, and it requires a change in thinking about the revenue picture. It’s more of a psychological change than anything else.
ChannelPro: What kinds of questions regarding security should solution providers pose to clients?
Hils: They shouldn’t start with a checklist of products. For example, they shouldn’t start by asking, “Do you have X widget?” because that is a yes-no question. It’s not the type of question that impresses upon the customer the need for security products. Instead, channel partners should be asking, “What would happen if your CEO’s laptop got lost or stolen?” or “What would happen if your network went down for 12 hours?” Consultative selling is very important, and that’s a matter of asking questions as opposed to pitching.
