Millions of cyberattacks occur every year, and the need for security is growing at an annual rate of 12% (according to this report).
Hot on the heels of the most recent massive ransomware attack (you know: WannaCry), Tech Data is focusing its security portfolio and unveiling their integrated security practice for the Americas. The company also is touting managed security services (acquired from Avnet) for its partners.
The overarching goal: Tech Data is focused on bringing companies the ability to Detect, Protect and Remediate through five key areas of security: Endpoint, Identity & Access Management, Perimeter, Data/Application and Security Intelligence.
Detect - Utilizing Tech Data's services, partners can leverage industry experts and an extensive vendor portfolio, the company says. Partners utilizing the service can access more than 30 security-related vendors and hundreds of products including most of the biggest names like Cisco, Microsoft, VMware and more. Through the data collected across these platforms, the company could provide Security Assessments that help partners to identify gaps in their customer's security solutions.
Protect - As soon as vulnerabilities are detected, Tech Data offers tools, professional services, and solutions that can be suited to end-customer needs. This can include Security-based Intellectual Property and unique product integration solutions. The company also claims to be able to assist in protecting IoT devices and offer training and education services to support partners as well as end users.
Remediate - Tech Data claims to have expertise in vertical markets such as Healthcare, Retail, Finance, Manufacturing, Energy and Government, including Tech Data's government-specific security-as-a-service offering, "Cyber Protect." Having knowledge in these markets and platforms can help you offer fast solutions to security breaches. Your company can take advantage of the security policies and procedures already created for similar companies to bring downtime to a minimum and get your customers back up and running as quickly as possible.
Tech Data Managed Security Services: Recon
Along with the above-mentioned products and services, Tech Data is promoting "Recon" managed security services that partners can offer to end-customers. Many small to medium sized businesses utilize a cobbled together system of protection. You know the scenario: The firewall doesn't integrate with the virus protection, which isn't integrated into the spam filter.
Recon can potentially benefit end-customers by offering a unified security management platform, Tech Data asserts. With this unified platform, partners can locate threats more quickly and easily and offer a timely response to the threat. It can also help you maintain policy compliance with Asset Discovery, File Integrity Monitoring, Compliance Reporting and more, the company says.
Unifying the security platforms can have cost-effective benefits as well. When cobbling together a whole security platform for an entire network, each piece of the puzzle comes with its own associated costs, including the cost of the professional expertise for the system. Bringing it all together can save you from training employees on multiple platforms.
Recon: Potential Benefits
Tech Data believes Recon can benefit VARs and MSPs in multiple ways -- including:
- Portfolio expansion – It can help partners to add a new security competency to their portfolios or strengthen an existing offering.
- Efficient client service – It can give partners the ability to efficiently manage customers’ IT networks against cyberthreats without setting and maintaining a partner-owned monitoring service.
- Instant security expertise – Partners gain the knowledge and abilities of Tech Data security researchers and professionals with 24x7 monitoring.
- Brand building – Partners can offers Recon as a white label managed service.
- Greater profitability – Tech Data says the service can help to generate higher partner margins, though we don't know specifics.
- Interoperability – It can already support hundreds of new and existing security technologies.
Tech Data: Rivalries
Of course, Tech Data isn't the only distributor focused on IT security. Ingram Micro, for one, is working with about 10,000 security partners -- hundreds of whom attended last week's Ingram Micro TrustX Alliance conference in Orlando.
Ingram Micro Cloud also offers multiple recurring revenue security services for partners.
Additional insights from Joe Panettieri.
