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07 Dec 2009
Two overseas security vendors will be offered help launching in the UK amid concerns that a lack of new market entrants is stifling innovation.
Recruitment firm Acumin has brought together a panel of experts to find the most innovative security solutions from around the world and help those organisations build a UK business.
The two winners will net a package of benefits, including a UK market entry plan and a reseller agreement with giant security VAR Integralis.
Further reading
Acumin director Chris Batten said only a small handful of security vendors had launched in the UK in 2008 or 2009 with any success, most notably Palo Alto.
“We have seen significantly fewer market entries in the UK security market over the past 18 months to two years,” he said. “The US vendors, who are the traditional risk-takers, have become risk-averse.
They are staying on home turf rather than taking a risk in a new market.”
The contest was launched in response to feedback from RANT, a 650-strong end-user security forum organised by Acumin.
“We surveyed members and the overriding feedback this year, which ties in with our own view, is that we are not getting enough innovative products shown to us in the UK,” said Batten.
“In the current climate RANT members often cannot fly to the US to see new products so they are relying on resellers to accept new technologies.”
A total of 75 invitations to tender have been sent out, mainly to venture capital-backed US start-ups. Members of the eight-man panel that will compile the shortlist and select the winners include Integralis’ UK sales director Neal Lillywhite and former Symantec luminary Richard Archdeacon.
They will score entrants on five criteria including the technology’s green credentials, how innovative it is and how the solution will address future needs.
Firewall vendor Palo Alto is one recent UK entrant to have made an impact, a nd ramped up its headcount from three to 15 in 2009.
Regional manager UK, Ireland and Africa Alex Raistrick, argued that overseas vendors could succeed in the UK if their technology is innovative enough.
“There is a lack of knowledge among small US startups when it comes to EMEA so they could do with the help,” he said. “If it is a good technology they will do well.
He added: “Vendors have less in the way of available funds and if they do have any it is very tightly controlled. There is a black hole where the next money is coming from for a lot of vendors.”
Bruce Hockin, head of business strategy at distributor Avnet Technology Solutions, hailed Acumin’s focus on new technology but disagreed that there is a lack of innovative products already on the market.
“They may need finessing but there are already solutions for 99 per cent of the threats that exist,” he said.
“There are still some organisations that have not implemented basic security technologies – some companies have not even implemented a proper IPS.”
The shortlist will be drawn up in mid-December and the two winners will be unveiled in January.
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