Six essentials to pitching mobile security 23 August, 2009 By [ci] channelinsider

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With so many different point products that cover controls such as encryption at rest, encryption of e-mail in transit, malware detection, and password management, many organizationsparticularly smaller onescan be quickly overwhelmed by the options necessary to mitigate the risks that matter to their organization.VARs are most likely to succeed in their sales efforts if they do the homework for the client. It may seem like it goes without saying, but presenting a single solution strategy that blends multiple products and services without confusing the customer with too many choices greatly enhances ones chances for closing a deal.

The Outside-In Confidential Data Security Model

Similarly, VARs should look for ways to make their solution set integrate right into the customer's existing overall security infrastructure. After all, one of the major drivers for smartphone security is that organizations are seeking the same level of control for these devices as for the rest of their endpoints. If they can't manage these mobile devices similar to the way they do the other endpoints, then the solution offers diminished utility.

"What we see more and more is that there's no single vendor that offers a complete solution that encompasses all of the different endpoints that exist today in an enterprise, from servers to PCs to laptops to cell phones," says Ran Ish-Shalom, vice president of business development for Onset Technology, a mobile communications security vendor. "What we've started to see the market expect is that VARs act as integrators to make sure that solutions from various vendors can actually work together and provide a unified approach towards the different endpoints."

Understanding of the Mobile Environment

As solution providers look to pitch mobile security strategies to customers, they must remember that the mobile environment is rarely ever standardized. Even at organizations that issue smartphones to workers, IT will inevitably come across the early adopters and tech savvy users that just had to have that iPhone or Google Android device and who insist on using them on the network.

"Channel partners should be aware of the breadth of devices and platforms that exist out there," says Joerg Schneider-Fimon, product marketing manager for Trend Micro. "It's not a monoculture."

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