After a year of anticipation, Symantec finally launched its managed service/software-as-a-service platform today. The Symantec Protection Network (SPN) initially supports storage services, with security services expected to arrive later this year or sometime in 2009.
Right out of the gate, SPN offers close integration with Symantec Backup Exec. That’s an important point: Hooks between SPN and Backup Exec could provide VARs and MSPs with a powerful one-two punch in the managed services market. Here’s why.
Backup Exec ranks among the most popular on-site backup and restore platforms in the industry. VARs that sell, service and support Backup Exec servers could be inclined to up-sell their customers to SPN. The move would allow Symantec’s channel partners to instantly leap from one-time software licenses to recurring monthly revenue through SPN.
On the flip-side, managed service providers that offer SPN could build closer relationships with their customers by promoting on-site Backup Exec deployments.
Of course, SPN and Backup Exec aren’t the only game in town. Startups like Vembu Technologies have lined up more than 550 managed service providers that specialize in storage as a service. (Update: Vembu says it recently surpassed 600 partners.) EMC has launched a storage as a service platform that may ultimately tie to managed ERP systems. And multiple MSP platform providers are exploring ways to integrate their services with Amazon.com’s Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3).
Symantec’s Pitch
Still, Symantec offers partners several key advantages. Although the company’s partner program stumbled a bit in 2007, Symantec continues to be one of the most channel-focused software developers in the world. And Symantec’s brand is well-known among small business owners and entrepreneurs. Those audiences may be inclined to trust VARs and MSPs that recommend using SPN and Backup Exec in tandem or as individual components.
Also, Symantec will continue to extend SPN with new services. Although no official announcements have been made, it’s widely believed that SPN will gradually gain new capabilities in such areas as email archiving, compliance, and endpoint security, just to name a few possibilities.
For MSPs, the potential advantages of SPN are clear: Instead of offering a hodgepodge of third-party services, SPN could eventually become a single platform for complete information protection.
Admittedly, SPN isn’t ready to fulfill that mandate today. It took Symantec longer than initially expected to get SPN online and ready for action. MSPmentor originally expected the service to debut in the fall of 2007. MSPs that want to give Symantec Protection Network a look can visit www.spn.com.
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Hats off. You are the only site mentioning the clear link between Backup Exec and SPN. We’ve been on Backup Exec for about three years and SPN seems like a natural next step assuming it actually works. We usually wait six to twelve months before using a new Symantec release because we got burned with some earlier stuff from them. But the whole saas movement seems unavoidable.
Like so many other things from symantec these days, the protection network is way late to market. Thousands of symantec partners have already looked elsewhere for online storage options.
Has symantec stated pricing and margin opportunity for protection network? Is there a special deal that makes bundling protection network with backup exec an appealing buy for customers?
Kelly: Symantec indicated to me that online backup over SPN starts at $25/month for 5GB. Online storage for Backup Exec starts at $38/month for 10GB. Symantec has not publicly stated how much margin MSPs and VARs will receive. However, company representatives have told me that down the road, VARs will be able to set their own markup prices for the back-end Symantec services. You can get more info by visiting http://www.spn.com.
For some reason nobody is taking about cost of data transferring, frequencies of data transfer and speed. Those questions are crucial for high performance high availability environments. It might suite small businesses but I don’t think it will ever attract enterprise IT.
Backup exec is costly to manage and maintain – upgrades, agents, did you change the tape, etc.
Backup exec offers no business continuity
The cost per gig per month is headed in the right direction but I would rather pay fifty cents per gig per month since every Tom, Dick, and Harry can put a server up at the Planet for nothing and start selling online backup services – I am sure you have seen the bargain basement prices being offered in the race to the bottom, I know my clients have we get calls about it every day.
I also agree that Symantec is late to the game. They are just getting started while other partners are figuring out what the offering of the future will look like to the MSP and to our clients.
-JC
http://www.everonit.com
http://www.smbitpros.com
Guys the big boys symantec, Amazon you name them are very late in the game and can not take care of the core business out there that makes up the majority (small Businesses)
I have been selling off-site backup in a managed offering for 5 years and to cleints on average of 15-25 users, they are the sweet spot and need our services and a hands off approach jus tmake sure to get a service that has a local copy as well as an off-site encrypted component.
As for cost people get stuck on that for all the wrong reasons, what matters is Fast Reliable data transfers to a secure data center and a real RTO (Recovery Time Objective) in other words a way to be up and running and FAST!.
Compunite,
Agree with you. You are 100% right. It is not a brainer to build big data storage. The problem is the data transfer. The cost of data transfer.
Big guys are late in the game but they have huge marketing potential.
Remember FexEx was trying to get into electronic files delivery. They put so much money in advertising. At the same time smaller companies had solutions on their own. Talk to ad agencies uploading downloading high resolution presentations for proofing.
Again, if people don’t understand that the problem is the data transfer, they don’t know IT.
I think this is because consumer bandwidth, FIOS, RoadRunner and others put that idea of 50Mpbs for $50. Try to get it for real datacenter with redundancy and quality of bandwith.
Thanks for your comments. Hope you will read it.