Services companies such as SecureIT are a marked departure from the traditional post-sales services and maintenance contracts most network resellers are accustomed to offering. It codifies a company's plans for protecting its network from virtual vigilantes on both the outside and the inside. While policy development boasts the high margins that VARs and integrators seek, however, it can be a frustrating process for both client and consultant. Resellers currently off ering this service say few of their clients have given much thought to security, much less considered it in enough detail to forge a policy. Management involvement is crucial, but often lacking.
Customers agree that, when it comes to security policy, the devil is in the details.
The company sought advice from security consultancy DMW Group in Colorado Springs, Colo., but the task of setting security standards has been a difficult one. Some of the network-security services that customers are clamoring for will be familiar to network resellers. Take outsourcing, for example. Given the newness of network-security technology, many companies lack the staff and expertise to manage their firewall and overall security implementation properly. Netrex Inc., a Detroit-based security company, is among the resellers customers are turning to.