Sherweb recently announced a new partnership with Trend Micro, the global leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity. We sat down with Lamon Gorman, Director, Service Provider Channel at Trend Micro to talk about how Trend Micro Worry-Free services will elevate the security posture of managed service providers (MSPs) and their clients. We also discussed how detection and response helps build into provider digital transformation.
Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and readability
What is Trend Micro Worry-Free?
Think about Trend Micro Worry-Free as a family of solutions, offering advanced threat defense techniques and designed to eliminate security gaps across endpoints and beyond. Worry-Free suites allow MSPs to choose the right solution that fits the customer’s budget and security requirements. MSPs can not only elevate their cybersecurity services, but also improve operational efficiency by centralized visibility and threat intel not only across different security layers, but also, across their client base. Having better cyber-ops results in faster and more effective detection and response to security incidents that could be facing their customers, thus minimizing the consequences of said incidents.
We think of the Worry-Free suites as a cybersecurity platform and – from an MSP perspective – the question is “how does this fit into my service offering?”. Our security solutions are part of an overall ecosystem built for MSPs. It allows partners to deliver value-added services. For example, the multi-tenant management tools integrate with common PSAs and RMMs. From a business outcome perspective our Co-managed XDR solution helps augment a MSP’s existing IT staff with security expertise, without the cost or time in hiring or building out a SOC (Security Operation Center).The key thing is these solutions fit into a larger ecosystem of tools the partner may already be leveraging.
How did Trend Micro get started?
Trend Micro has a long history in the cybersecurity space. We started in the late 80’s in California. Our current CEO is a woman. Our global headquarters is out of Japan. However, we have over 7000 employees across 65 countries. Sometimes the fact that the company has been around for 30 years is viewed as a bad thing. I would say this is a testament to our innovation and foresight to predict changing landscapes. We know the cybersecurity market is constantly evolving, there’s always that new shiny object. However, I believe our ability to adapt is what has made us into a global security leader. We strive to anticipate changes in the market, as well as remain dedicated to listening to customers, which then helps us transform to meet demands.
A cornerstone of Trend Micro’s success is our sole focus on cybersecurity, which is a great lead into our research. We are the market leader in vulnerability disclosure via the Zero Day Initiative, which aids in making our detection and response exceptional. We accounted for 60% of vulnerability notifications or disclosures in 2020. Basically, our history feeds our technology and allows us to be very effective at what we’re doing.
What inspired Trend Micro to get involved with Sherweb?
We are seeing channel transformation within digital transformation. And we know that Sherweb is putting focus in a variety of areas driving this transformation, specifically, the cloud marketplace concept and their focus on service-oriented partners (i.e.: MSPs). It’s about adding that increase value and extending vendor programs that we were drawn to Sherweb. Here at Trend Micro when we were looking at the market, we felt this was a great way to reach MSPs and saw Sherweb as a leader in this channel transformation.
Additionally, Sherweb’s emphasis on value versus broad line distribution was also a deciding factor in what made Sherweb appealing. We were looking for “partnership” in navigating this channel transformation so there was a lot of alignment.
What’s the elevator pitch?
Of course, the elevator pitch depends on who we’re speaking to. If I’m talking to the MSP, it’s going to be about how to elevate their security services without the increased cost. There are options to fit budget and security needs and advanced solutions to address the various needs they are attempting to meet. For the MSP, it’s about that staff augmentation, enriching your security services, without the cost associated with that, whether the cost is in technology, people, etc. Viewing cybersecurity as a platform. So, the elevator pitch combines a mixture of the value to the end customers the MSPs are serving and how different security options are budget friendly, depending on their needs.
What opportunities does Trend Micro Worry-Free represent for managed service providers and other resellers
There’s a transformation happening in the MSP space around cybersecurity and partners are wanting to create more security focused services. The reality is most MSPs don’t have the skillset, time or the IT resources to build out sophisticated and scalable security services. MSPs have really two options: One they can try to build out that expertise with time, people and technologies – i.e.: building out a SOC – or they can adopt solutions such as SOC-as-a-Service, where we’re basically the SOC for the MSP in the background.
Our solutions allow them to quickly build their security expertise without having to invest in people or technology to capitalize on the market dynamics. We know customers want these types of services. If MSPs go the route of hiring and purchasing technology to build out a SOC, it ends up being so expensive most of them can’t afford it. Additionally, by the time they get there they’re going miss the market.
So, Worry-Free with Co-managed XDR services offers the best of both worlds; the technology and security experts (i.e.: people). Through the transparancy of this service MSPs stay in the value stream and get to look like the security heroes to their clients. Essentially, by working with our security analysts MSPs will become actual security experts over time.
Finally, MSPs utilizing our services through Sherweb, get access to an ecosystem of tools that allows them to build services around security. It helps them create better reoccurring revenue streams and deliver high-value services, which leads to not only improved customer satisfaction, but also better customer retention.
What is the number one business benefit for MSPs?
We can help accelerate their security services portfolio and enable them to capitalize on the customer demand that is currently at hand.
At Sherweb, we offer detection and response security solutions to MSPs for every need level. Find out more about if Trend Micro’s complete, simple endpoint protection is right for your business by joining Sherweb’s partner program.
