Frost & Sullivan Names IBM North American Market Leader for Managed Security Services

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Aug 13, 2010, 08:00 ET

ARMONK, N.Y., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that it is the recipient of the Frost & Sullivan 2010 North American Market Leadership of the Year Award(1) for its ability to enhance and maintain the most market share among managed security service providers (MSSPs). IBM received the honor for its continued strong foothold in the highly fragmented enterprise market, with more than 15 percent share, according to the report by Frost & Sullivan, an information technology consulting firm.

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The report also stated IBM demonstrated more than double-digit growth in 2009, and continues to gain traction as a result of the company's broad portfolio of device management and cloud-based managed security services, strong consulting abilities and integrated services.

Frost & Sullivan honored IBM as a recipient of this award based on key performance drivers, including its strong brand name and the ability to help lower cost of ownership and demonstrate compliance. Other drivers included IBM X-Force® research and development team capabilities and the continued maintenance and development of a solid portfolio and channel partner network.

"In terms of market presence, IBM has a strong penetration in the Enterprise segment," said Frost & Sullivan research analyst Martha Vazquez. "Through offering a lucrative partnership to resellers, the company will continue to expand into new markets globally. Along with a substantial financial backbone, brand reputation and global reach, the company has been able to remain a leading competitor in the enterprise market."

With the increasing complexity of security infrastructures and threats, as well as cost control and compliance continuing to drive the MSSP marketplace, Frost & Sullivan found that businesses are looking to reduce risk while meeting operational objectives in the current economy. The report noted that MSSP vendors are under extreme pressure to offer these services.

"IBM remains focused on providing a breadth of device and cloud-based managed security services with strong consulting and integration capabilities," said Marisa Viveros, vice president, IBM Security Services. "We are continuously developing and offering new services that help our customers to use security as a business enabler and competitive differentiator."

IBM is one of the world's leading providers of risk and security solutions. Through product offerings, professional security services and managed security services, IBM provides flexibility and breadth of solutions as a trusted security partner. Clients around the world team with IBM to help reduce the complexities of security and strategically manage risk.

About IBM

For more information on IBM's security solutions, visit: http://www.ibm.com/security.

(1)Frost and Sullivan North American Managed Security Services Market Report, May 2010