It's not all about vendors

Blogger: Trent Henry

The life of an Analyst can be dangerously cloistered. I know many (non-Burton) colleagues whose time is spent almost exclusively at vendor conferences and in briefings with product teams. Although a certain amount of vendor interaction is important--otherwise we can't help clients understand what technologies/solutions are more promising than others--it's easy to get lost. Specifically, it can cause an Analyst to lose his or her way in understanding the day-to-day problems of typical enterprises.

This week at Catalyst is a boon in understanding real problems. With 1700 attendees, most of whom represent the Global 2000, every day brings a dozen conversations that paint a picture of real IT issues--no ivory tower here.

Some interesting questions and issues that have arisen in the security
arena:

• In order to comply with HSPD12, we want to move our PKI to a service provider. How will that transition affect our users and applications?
• The audit team wants more log collection. Should I turn the dials and levers on my existing product or buy something new?
• In the world of a care provider, many network-connected devices are certified by regulatory bodies and can't be patched or otherwise changed. How should those be protected?
• My CISO wants me to explain the benefits of ISO 27002 to the Board: Where should I start?

...and the list goes on.

The key is that emerging technologies can be interesting, but Analysts and vendors alike need to carefully listen to customer challenges.