One of the vital widespread questions we get from CISOs — and CIOs — is whether or not they need to settle for vendor consolidation and add extra Microsoft to their safety stack or do every thing of their energy to combat towards it. For the previous few months, we’ve spoken to these leaders through inquiries, steering classes, and analysis interviews to debate this actual situation. This analysis culminated within the launch of our report, The CISO’s Information To Microsoft Investments.
This report delves deep into CISO and CIO sentiment about Microsoft as a vendor and, most significantly, how these leaders handle distributors with product strains and attain as huge as Microsoft’s.
A number of the key takeaways from the report (with loads extra within the full report for Forrester purchasers!):
- Escape is unimaginable. Whether or not it’s primarily based on identify recognition, partnerships, cloud, productiveness suites, laptops, online game consoles, or another cause you’ll be able to consider, questions like “Why not simply do extra with Microsoft?” will come from finance, enterprise line leaders, and your board. The way in which you reply this query issues, and the solutions can’t be private or technical. The solutions should be monetary and backed up with proof.
- Microsoft is a official safety vendor. Since 2021, Microsoft has been evaluated towards its opponents in a number of Forrester Wave™ evaluations, incomes Chief positions in a number of. The argument that “Microsoft isn’t an actual safety vendor” gained’t maintain water.
- Breaches don’t matter. Loads of safety distributors wish to fireplace up a DeLorean and take us again to the early 2000s as they clutch their pearls about this Microsoft vulnerability or breach. CISOs care. Some CIOs care. CFOs, CEOs, and boards don’t care, particularly on this financial setting. Moreover, everyone seems to be a shopper of — and a enterprise accomplice with — an organization that’s had a breach by now. This doesn’t transfer the needle, and the trope is as drained as it’s ineffective.
- However measurement usually does. We heard from CISOs and CIOs that the sheer enormity of Microsoft usually works towards them within the type of inconsistencies throughout account groups and gross sales processes – particularly with RFPs, product names, and included performance. The ensuing confusion opens the door for smaller opponents to supply the targeted consideration wanted to assist leaders make a strong enterprise case for retention of — or funding in — their most popular merchandise.
- Worry results in anger, anger results in hate, and hate results in … di$rely$. Whether or not a CISO actually needs to go along with extra Microsoft or not is form of unimportant. Savvy CISOs, CIOs, finance leaders, and procurement groups can come collectively and use the overwhelming, existential dread Microsoft instills in its opponents to squeeze out reductions and deferred funds from them.
Microsoft isn’t the one safety vendor pursuing a consolidation technique. Loads of others are too. However few of these distributors have the identical attain throughout the enterprise that Microsoft does with as many strains of enterprise. This report is designed to assist safety leaders decide their battles in relation to this tech — and safety — mega-vendor.
Forrester purchasers with questions ought to request a steering session or inquiry with me or my colleague and co-author Jess Burn to debate intimately.
