|
From managing India's largest super computer project-PARAM
10000, at Sun Microsystems, to developing business at Citrix
Systems, and finally taking the lead in establishing a world-class
security service providing company, Anil Menon has come a long way.
As CEO of SecureSynergy, Menon is responsible for business
operations of the company including sales, marketing, technology,
training, consulting and the service provider
How has SecureSynergy evolved over the years from being a
vendor-driven solutions provider to a solutions provider with own
services?
We have never viewed ourselves as a vendor-driven
solutions provider. Exactly like a full service airline requires an
aircraft to deliver the experience of flying, we believe that a
large part of the services can be driven only around products. We
look at ourselves as a security services provider.
We have certain platforms that we use to deliver our services, in
addition to a suite of consulting offerings that are not only vendor
driven but it also addresses process, compliance as well as
architectural level issues at the client end. Most of our key vendor
relationships are royalty driven enabling us to deliver better value
as well as RoI to customers.
 |
Anil Menon
CEO,
SecureSynergy |
We are one of the only security ASPs in the regions, and one who
makes money out of its services. We were also ranked as the market
leader in managed security service (MSS), 2006 by Frost and Sullivan
for the Indian market. And at this point of time we are the largest
security services provider in the country.
How large is your company?
We have a significant
presence across both enterprise and SMBs in the MSS space. With
approximately 750-odd clients in the SMB space as well as 200-odd in
the enterprise, we are the largest by number of clients served as
well as the largest by value (Frost and Sullivan, managed security,
2006).
How have you defined SMB customers? And which segment is
SecureSynergy more focused on?
We segment the market as
following-up to 10-user segment is addressed by our SOHO security
offerings, which include managed anti-virus (MVS), anti spyware,
PatchEasy and Safend. We do not see a strong IT department or even a
dedicated IT owner in most organizations till they reach roughly a
100 desktop size.
Till organizations have around 250 desktops or so, the IT
department is weak with one or two administrators owning
responsibility for IT. Naturally, the focus on security is minimal
with attention going to desktops, office productivity and messaging.
This entire segment is SMB and gets enormous value through
SecureSynergy's managed security offerings.
Apart from being the 'largest' security solutions provider in
India, on which other countries are you focusing?
We have
significant presence in the Middle East with over 250 clients served
in the GCC and Saudi markets. IT decision makers over there have lot
of cultural similarities to us, being largely made up of Indians and
Pakistanis. We also have limited presence in the US, though that
will go up over the next year or two.
What kind of channel structure does SecureSynergy have in
place?
As a security service provider, we deliver our suite
of products and services through most of the leading solution
providers in the country. We believe that every single player in the
channel community can get added advantage and ability to deliver
superior value to their clients by participating in SecureSynergy's
channel program called REACH.
We have a two-tier channel model for our MSS and SMB offerings
with a set of resellers and Ingram Micro as a distributor. The
consulting and other product offerings follow a single tier model
with a select set of integrators working with SecureSynergy
directly.
What value-adds do you give to your channel partners?
Channels are a critical part of our business and channel
readiness figures prominently in our planning process.
Traditionally, we do channel training multiple times a
year-centrally as well as at channel premises. Supporting partners
is equally critical after the sale process and hence we have
invested in toll-free lines, e-mail and web-based support for our
channel partners.
Our support infrastructure has the ability to provide level-2
(L2) and level-3 (L3) support across the product/services that we
offer. We also have a market development fund, which can be used by
partners to run customer contact programs, lead generation campaigns
and mailers. In addition, we encourage partners to leverage
SecureSynergy's relationship with CII to reach the message of secure
infrastructures to all organizations across the country.
As a solution provider you are competing with several other
companies in the market, what differentiates your company?
Our breadth of offerings as an end-to-end secure infrastructure
services provider truly differentiates us. Whether it is bleeding
edge technology controls, consulting, and domain expertise to offer
compliance solutions or off site delivery, we have the people and
the technology to match the best in the business.
Today, we have different competitors across different service
lines-an end-to-end competitor is rare. A well-developed channel
framework aids this process and helps us reach larger number of
customers. Unlike other service providers, our collaborative
business framework and channel model enables us to give support
services to every corner of the country and reach any customer
within two to four hours.
We understand ASP delivery and have perfected this over the last
four to five years, making us easily the largest ASP in the country
delivering security on tap.
How many technology tie-ups does SecureSynergy have till date?
We have various types of technology tie-ups. Some of them
are royalty-based, some market reach-based. Few others are
technology partnerships. The tie-ups are a critical part of our
go-to-market model ensuring that we have the necessary security
controls to back our methodologies as well as ensure security of
client infrastructures.
You already have your own solutions. Eventually, would this
mean going on your own for all future products?
We are a
service provider who delivers through partners. We do not see that
changing any time soon.
NELSON JOHNY
Page(s) 1
| 
.gif)
