Special Report: Selling to SMBs

Greater connectivity through broadband has however come at the price of greater risk. The Pacific Internet report found that SMBs are taking the threat from cyberspace seriously however, with more than 50 percent now using hardware and software-based firewalls, and 12 percent using intrusion protection systems.

David Peach, hardware division manager at Express Data, declares security as the big growth area among his reseller’s SMB customers.

"Security used to mean anti-virus and not much else, and then once installed it was up to the user to ensure they were maintaining their AV program," Peach says. "Those days are gone — security is now AV as well as access control, user policies, and networks that can identify a threat and react accordingly.

"User authentication and remote access is another area where we are seeing increased interest. Employers see the benefits of giving their staff remote access, either from home or customer sites, and before opening this access up they need to know that they will not compromise security. A skilled-up reseller can sell these solutions confidently, knowing that they have been refined in the Enterprise space for several years and they work."

LAN Systems’ Heywood says that SMBs are becoming data security conscious, with many now recognising the importance of protecting their business integrity. ‘This also stretches to data storage security and backup,’ Heywood says.

They are also looking to IP telephony as an application that can enhance business productivity and reduce costs. "Our partnership with IPFX and Cisco is experiencing rapid uptake of awareness in the SMB market arena. Previously, much of the business case was based around toll bypass and least cost routing. Now it’s all about business performance and applications that are the enabling factor in that area."

According to the regional vice-president for security technology company Check Point Software Technologies, Scott Ferguson, SMBs are aware of the need for security, but typically do not have the expertise or knowledge to make decision on critical security purchases.

"As more content is delivered across broadband, security will become an issue of increasing importance," Ferguson says. "The availability of affordable broadband has also spurred SMBs to utilise the web further in the course of developing their business, so the purchasing activity also evolves around other software applications and other, especially mobile, end user technologies.

"As a result, they have a high degree of reliance on their trusted supplier to make recommendations and maintain their security environment," Ferguson says.