Comments on: The Manufacturer Cage Match – or is there any "best" product? http://infosecplace.com/blog/2007/04/24/the-manufacturer-cage-match-or-is-there-any-best-product/ Commentary on the State of Information Security Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:13:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: LonerVamp http://infosecplace.com/blog/2007/04/24/the-manufacturer-cage-match-or-is-there-any-best-product/comment-page-1/#comment-18972 LonerVamp Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:52:11 +0000 http://infosecplace.com/blog/2007/04/24/the-manufacturer-cage-match-or-is-there-any-best-product/#comment-18972 Yeah, I admit, midnight being a limit is pretty sad, but I think it's only due to two factors in my life. A job I don't necessarily like and not working out lately at all (lately being the last few years!). :) I'm working on both those issues! Yeah, I admit, midnight being a limit is pretty sad, but I think it’s only due to two factors in my life. A job I don’t necessarily like and not working out lately at all (lately being the last few years!). :) I’m working on both those issues!

]]> By: SamVR http://infosecplace.com/blog/2007/04/24/the-manufacturer-cage-match-or-is-there-any-best-product/comment-page-1/#comment-18971 SamVR Wed, 25 Apr 2007 13:45:31 +0000 http://infosecplace.com/blog/2007/04/24/the-manufacturer-cage-match-or-is-there-any-best-product/#comment-18971 Hmm, where should I start, Michael? :-) Fundamentally, you have to be asking the question of "why does the customer need this?" vs. "what features are important". The sales guy needs to determine this up front. Product development for any manufacturer usually starts with some customer needs assessment. So you are taking needs from a select group of customers to figure out the best way to develop a product (features, architecture, etc). So when you bring the product to market, you will find that the product will not work in everyone's environment. However, you have some great case studies on those first customers you designed it around! ;-) The upside is that you'll find more needs as you move through the sales cycles, the downside is that you'll find more needs as you move through the sales cycles. You need new deals to fund the continued development of the product. (Or find a VC with throwaway money) As for whether a product fits, it is sometimes (er, many times?) a case of pointing out other problems the customer has that need to be addressed first. For example, when I was selling NAC, I had a customer that had all of their printers on the same network sensitive data was flowing through - an easy way to spoof the printer's MAC/IP. That's just poor network design from a security perspective. As it stood, we wouldn't be a fit, but if they fixed this fundamental problem, it would be a fit. So walking away wouldn't be the right thing to do. On selling, well, you have to drink the Kool-Aid when you sell a product. you need to know the strengths AND weaknesses. You can't sell what you don't believe in (same case with a reseller). Sometimes you just don't know if you've joined the right company until you've been through a couple of sales cycles (another discussion). No offense, but Accuvant is a reseller. As a reseller, you are pressured to make margin off products - regardless of which ones. Now, to keep your "vendor neutrality" you need to have many competing product on your line card. This can do two things: it can make you less of an expert on all products and make you less of a trusted partner to the vendor. To offset any loss in margin, you tack services onto the product - how is this really serving the customer if ones' product expertise is not at the highest level? So what is better for the customer? This is why many customers just take the freebie Cisco deal (free IDS with every new switch!, etc.). It's just easier. I understand that Accuvant both resells and does consulting (that's a whole 'nother discussion) and I also understand that the products you guys sell are carefully selected and limited in your line card, which is certainly better for the customer in terms of buying from an expert. But most resellers go where the money is. It is business, after all. Hmm, where should I start, Michael? :-)

Fundamentally, you have to be asking the question of “why does the customer need this?” vs. “what features are important”. The sales guy needs to determine this up front.

Product development for any manufacturer usually starts with some customer needs assessment. So you are taking needs from a select group of customers to figure out the best way to develop a product (features, architecture, etc). So when you bring the product to market, you will find that the product will not work in everyone’s environment. However, you have some great case studies on those first customers you designed it around! ;-) The upside is that you’ll find more needs as you move through the sales cycles, the downside is that you’ll find more needs as you move through the sales cycles. You need new deals to fund the continued development of the product. (Or find a VC with throwaway money)

As for whether a product fits, it is sometimes (er, many times?) a case of pointing out other problems the customer has that need to be addressed first. For example, when I was selling NAC, I had a customer that had all of their printers on the same network sensitive data was flowing through – an easy way to spoof the printer’s MAC/IP. That’s just poor network design from a security perspective. As it stood, we wouldn’t be a fit, but if they fixed this fundamental problem, it would be a fit. So walking away wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

On selling, well, you have to drink the Kool-Aid when you sell a product. you need to know the strengths AND weaknesses. You can’t sell what you don’t believe in (same case with a reseller). Sometimes you just don’t know if you’ve joined the right company until you’ve been through a couple of sales cycles (another discussion).

No offense, but Accuvant is a reseller. As a reseller, you are pressured to make margin off products – regardless of which ones. Now, to keep your “vendor neutrality” you need to have many competing product on your line card. This can do two things: it can make you less of an expert on all products and make you less of a trusted partner to the vendor. To offset any loss in margin, you tack services onto the product – how is this really serving the customer if ones’ product expertise is not at the highest level? So what is better for the customer? This is why many customers just take the freebie Cisco deal (free IDS with every new switch!, etc.). It’s just easier. I understand that Accuvant both resells and does consulting (that’s a whole ‘nother discussion) and I also understand that the products you guys sell are carefully selected and limited in your line card, which is certainly better for the customer in terms of buying from an expert. But most resellers go where the money is. It is business, after all.

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