Making Mobility Work: Symantec and the Partner Community
Ask any business what technology is causing the greatest change in their operations today, and there’s a good chance they will say mobile technology. Perhaps more than any other technology, mobility is transforming our personal lives, and it’s now carrying over into the business. We’re seeing an explosion of mobile devices in the workforce, and businesses are scrambling to keep up, trying valiantly to manage the plethora of smartphones and tablets that are prevalent in today’s workplace.
This is providing an enormous opportunity for the partner community. According to Gartner, only 20 percent of businesses have adopted mobile solutions at the present time; however, they are predicting that within the next five years, this number will jump up to at least 60 percent, demonstrating the huge growth we can expect in this area. Because mobility is a priority for businesses, likewise it should serve as a priority in the partner community.
Mobility involves a broad set of technologies and encompasses a large number of solutions, and partners who want to break into this space will have to determine what arsenal of technology will best meet their customer’s needs – now and in the future. And the issue of employee-owned devices versus company-owned devices brings about even more considerations, adjustments and additions to customer wants and needs.
Symantec's Solutions
Symantec is committed to addressing the needs of today’s businesses by helping partners offer a comprehensive set of solutions designed to help make the most of the technology and minimize risks. We have an arsenal in the mobility space; for example, our mobile device management (MDM) solutions enable policy and configuration management, providing IT with complete control over devices. For businesses looking to ensure they maintain security posture in a BYOD environment, Symantec’s mobile application management (MAM) technology provides each application with its own layer of protection – mitigating the risk of information theft. And Symantec’s advanced threat protection technology keeps devices safe from threats and malware found in applications and online. These products are available in the Symantec Mobile Management Suite.
In addition, Symantec delivers identity and access management solutions to provide access controls and protect information stored in the cloud. These products easily scale with businesses, allowing partners to seamlessly add mobile products and solutions to your offerings as your customers grow and their mobile strategy expands, making Symantec your one-stop resource, providing the tools and solutions your customers need as they look to adopt mobile technology.
Partners and MSPs will find their mobile portfolios greatly enhanced by engaging in Symantec’s Mobility Solution Specialization program. This Specialization offers training and resources to help partners and MSPs demonstrate knowledge and expertise in mobile technology and differentiate themselves from competitors. We provide all the tools and training partners need to confidently take advantage of this market opportunity, increase profitability and grow their business.
Even with the comprehensive capabilities we offer today, Symantec is always committed to continue developing, acquiring and innovating technologies that meet the needs of businesses. Demonstrated by our recent activities and acquisitions in the mobile space, we are looking forward to rolling out additional products and resources in the near future to help MSPs and partners of all sizes capitalize on the growing mobile technology market.
It’s an exciting time to be a Symantec channel partner — incredible opportunities lie ahead. Symantec is steadfast in our support of partners and are here to help you expand your offerings and ensure you have an arsenal of game-changing technology that keeps you and your customers ahead of the curve. Together, we can embrace the growth and immense success the mobility trend will bring – now and long into the future.
Stephen Banbury is Vice President of Worldwide MSP at Symantec Corp. Monthly guest blogs such as this one are part of MSPmentor’s annual platinum sponsorship.
