While the demand for managed security services has been limited in the past few years, the worldwide managed security services market is expected to grow from $1.6 billion in 2002 to $5.9 billion in 2007, reports In-Stat/MDR. This growth will definitely result in a lot of opportunity for the main players in this space ? hardware and software vendors, managed service providers, traditional telcos, and consulting firms. However, the high-tech market research firm expects that the WAN access providers, which have an existing services relationship with the largest percent of the market, are poised to reap the most immediate benefits of the continued need for these types of services.
Any company that has some type of WAN access needs security. However, while this group of service providers has the best reach to customers, they also tend to have the least expertise on security. The most security-savvy of the competing security service providers are the security niche players, vendors like, Counterpane, Guardent, and Symantec, which have built their reputation solely on their ability to provide top-level security. The start-up mentality for many of the niche players, has allowed them to quickly adapt to market changes, and provide services for new types of security equipment faster than any other type of managed security service provider.