Users pushing for a consolidation
of multiple risk management tools
BY JEFF JEDRAS added that the banking sector is IT security research with IDC Business intelligence vendor go with some of the more point
leading the push. Canada in Ottawa, said such a SAS Institute plays in the ERM and boutique solutions that
A tool consolidation trend may “I think we’re being driven to- trend hasn’t come to Canada yet, space, and works with the bank- address a specific risk.”
be coming to the enterprise risk ward a model that will encompass but he does agree it’s an issue. He ing industry in the U.S., Canada Compliance issues drove
management (ERM) space, but a more enterprise-wide view than said firms in Canada have been and internationally. Jim LaRue, many of these projects. However,
some observers caution while this we’ve had in the past,” slow to take a holistic business solutions director in LaRue said some of these projects
is a good idea the market may not said Whitener. “The approach to security, SAS’s Toronto office, said the didn’t go too well and are being
be ready yet. inability to commu- but they should. firm’s tools can give the wider revisited.
Currently, risk management nicate risk across the Pointing to a recent view companies are looking for Overall, though, LaRue said
tools for functions like physical organization and up IDC Canada study, but the market demand has been that while there has been talk
security, IT security, fraud detec- to the right people in a Greene said just 65 for siloed applications. in the Canadian financial sector
tion, business continuity, disaster timely manner is why per cent of companies “There was a great deal of around consolidation, in most
preparedness and crisis manage- (we’ve had) failures.” have lumped issues like interest (about two years ago) in cases their applications remain in
ment mainly exist in their silos, Whitener envisions security, compliance an enterprise-wide view of risk, their silos. “There’s interest, but I
often monitored by different staff, a dashboard with Whitener: users being and privacy together. but in general, when they made haven’t seen a lot of buy,” he said.
driven to new model
making it difficult to determine scenarios and accepted “In Canada, I don’t the buy decisions they tended to 051544
interrelated events. risk levels built in, think people are actu-
which could be monitored for ally screaming for this just yet,
“You can’t deviations from accepted levels. because in Canada the majority
This would be a cost savings of companies aren’t at the point
manage risk Office devices a key
for companies, but she added it where they need to be,” said
properly if you’re would also provide more timely Greene. “There aren’t sufficient
and comprehensive information numbers of companies out there
only looking at it to those in management. “We’re taking a holistic approach to to network security
being glutted with information this that would merit that kind
within the silos.” (today), some that’s useful and of investment (by vendors) in BY NETWORK WORLD U.S. STAFF machines, such as multifunc-some that’s not,” said Whitener. Canada.” tion devices, might have several
— Greene “Trying to weed through and With larger companies and You might think you’ve heard operating systems in them that
determine what’s important… more pressure around compli- about every possible security could provide security holes if not
In Canada recently for a is critical.” ance, Greene said he could see vulnerability in your network, but protected.
series of presentations, Rebecca The trend is in its early stages such a trend coming out of the what about your copiers? Look for Xerox in the months
Whitener, director of privacy in the U.S., and Whitener said U.S. into Canada. But he said “Network-connected output ahead to deliver more in the way
services for, Plano, Tex.-based she couldn’t point to any vendors Canadian companies would be devices are becoming an absolute of technologies that would enable
IT outsourcer EDS Corp., said leading the way. Consultants wise to get on board. primary target of people, foreign document systems to be able to
in an interview she has observed can help to integrate disparate “There’s no question they and domestic, who are penetrat- identify content so that compa-
the beginning of a trend, driven siloed applications, and she said should be taking a more holistic ing networks,” said Jim Joyce, nies can better prevent theft of
in part by compliance issues, of some companies and incubators approach,” said Greene. “You senior vice-president for office intellectual property and other
users wanting those siloed tools linked to universities are at the can’t manage risk properly if services at Xerox Global Services. confidential data. Xerox’s Palo
together in one enterprise-wide research stage. you’re only looking at it within “Many of them are large de- Alto Research Center has been
risk management platform. She Joe Greene, vice-president of the silos.” vices with large disk drives, with working on such technologies,
a fair amount of memory and are Joyce said.
network-connected and are not Meanwhile, other office docu-
secure. This laptop [I’m using for ment-product vendors said they
this presentation] is probably 10 seek to go beyond selling boxes.
times more secure than any of While “solutions” might qual-
the output devices we have in our ify as the single-most overused
environments today.” word in the IT industry over the
Joyce, speaking at the two-day years, presenters embraced it as a
Office Document Solutions con- fresh concept capable of bringing
ference in Boston last month, was new life to their industry.
among a number of presenters Charles Pesko, a director
who implored makers of printers, at Info Trends/CAP Ventures,
copiers, scanners and other such greeted attendees at the consult-
devices to start thinking about ing firm’s event by stating that
more than just selling boxes to the U.S. copier market is matur-
customers. ing and that solutions are the
Joyce said during an interview answer to revenue growth. Not
after his speech that Xerox has only do solutions offer revenue
poured about US$20 million in opportunities, but vendors that
recent years into technologies to succeed here also will see a rise in
better manage office and docu- hardware sales. For every dollar
ment systems and is putting a in solutions sold, a company will
particular emphasis on security sell US$4 or US$5 of hardware
these days. He noted that some with it, he said. 053879
