Research-based
Market Strategy Consulting

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Security solutions have begun to separate themselves in the marketplace from the Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs) who manage customer premise equipment, due to advantages of the SaaS delivery model plus the superior cloud-based approach to mitigation. Yet this is still an emerging class of service provider not yet fully trusted by many IT organizations. Security and privacy still remain as significant inhibitors to SaaS adoption, even in non-mission-critical application categories. However, due to the superior advantages of cloud-based SaaS Security solutions, we believe that SaaS Security will overcome marketplace fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD) and, by 2010, Data Security will have shifted from an inhibitor of SaaS adoption to a key driver. This Strategic Perspective examines the emerging Security-as-a-service marketplace, and frames a number of key issues surrounding cloud-based Security solutions – and likely outcomes.