http://www.pcw.co.uk/crn/analysis/2215678/alpha-males-square-infosec-3975066
By Doug Woodburn
CRN
01 May 2008
The great and the good of the IT security channel descended upon
London’s Olympia late last month for Infosec 2008, but some left in two
minds as to whether Europe’s premier IT security fair has passed its
peak.
As ever, the three-day extravaganza provided the perfect stage for an
alpha male contest between some of the industry’s top names.
McAfee emerged as the undisputed silverback, with two giant stands
towards the front of the Grand Hall. Thick-necked England rugby prop
Andrew Sheridan was on hand to pose for photos with punters, courtesy of
McAfee’s sponsorship ties with Sale Sharks.
Juniper Networks, Sophos, ClearSwift and security distributor Wick Hill
also fielded well-manned booths. Data security specialist Utimaco was
among the smaller vendors punching above their weight; its pitch
featuring a pirate ship complete with canons and treasure chests.
Cost effectiveness
Pulling in some 330 exhibitors and 12,500 attendees this year, Infosec
will move to Earls Court in 2009 to accommodate the show’s expansion.
However, with Symantec, Check Point, Trend Micro and Blue Coat all
without a direct presence this year, some attendees were unsure of
Infosec’s long-term future.
David Hobson, managing director at VAR GSS, said: “Every show has a
lifespan and maybe Infosec has peaked.
“Some big vendors have taken a view on it this year: it is a lot of
money can it be spent more effectively? Large stands cost £100,000.”
GSS itself had an enlarged presence at the event following its merger
with rival Peapod last year. Hobson said the extra investment would send
a signal to customers that the integrator can compete on an even footing
with giants such as Vistorm and Integralis.
Size matters
But he added: “It is our tenth year at the show and we started off as
three or four people. But if we were that size now, we would not be at
the show. Smaller resellers would struggle to find the budget.”
Paul Anderson, sales director for the UK and Ireland at Trend Micro,
said: “We did not do Infosec last year. It may have got to the point
where it brings value to someone trying to launch in the market, but for
the larger vendors, the incremental value is difficult to measure.”
One emerging vendor touting its wares in the UK for the first time was
US-based database security vendor Application Security.
Ted Julian, head of strategy at the vendor, was in no doubt of Infosec’s
value to his firm. “This is the premier trade show for security in all
of Europe, and a logical place for us to launch. We have broken our
target lead count and are only halfway through day two,” he said.
“The RSA Conference is the Infosec of the US, and you cannot help
comparing the two.
“At RSA, there was a theme: no matter what business you were in, it was
about data security. Here, it is more about the specific features of the
products. Given the nature of the European market, I would have expected
more of a solutions focus.”
That was a view shared by Niall Mcgrane, director of security and
virtualisation at distributor Magirus, which launched a new four-pronged
security approach at the show (CRN Online, 23 April).
“We have been delighted because 200 people have come through our stand
and the feedback has been good,” said Mcgrane. “But Infosec still needs
to move towards more business-oriented approaches.”
And the show still has its die-hard enthusiasts. Ian Kilpatrick,
chairman of distributor Wick Hill, which has attended Infosec since its
inception, was certain that both the quantity and quality of end-user
leads had improved on 2007.
“We have been busy and the lead count has been bigger. Across our
portfolio, we have had big names coming to us with projects for which
they have the budget and commitment.”
Kilpatrick argued that the complexity of the security market is
prompting delegates to look for deeper consultation about technology.
“People on the stands are open to discussions about their security
environment because it is becoming more complex,” he explained.
“There are now different ways of doing things and everyone is selling a
different message. This creates confusion, but also an opportunity to
provide clarity.
“We are living in a world where data is the key element. You have to
completely review how you deal with your business,” said Kilpatrick.
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Received on May 05 2008
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