Matasano Chargen - Latest Comments in Big Blue, HP, Digging Deep / Make My Scary Competitors Go To Sleep

Re: Big Blue, HP, Digging Deep / Make My Scary Competitors Go To Sleep

sgjames — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:38:32 -0000

I totally agree with Josh, HP & IBM are entirely different companies.

Re: Big Blue, HP, Digging Deep / Make My Scary Competitors Go To Sleep

PaulM — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 08:29:37 -0000

Frankly, I doubt IBM cares. They want the MSSP pracitce, not the vuln-dev & research guys. Most of the rock stars at X-Force are focused on research and P&P development and less on directly billable work.

Combine that with what happened with Mike Lynn and the signal that sent, and I suspect that an exodus is imminent. They'll look for greener pastures, and with a small number of exceptions, IBM won't fight to keep them.

Of course, I'm generalizing here, but I think it'll be obvious.

So the $64 question is - speaking of parallels between IBM-ISS and Symantec-@stake, is Matasano going bring on anybody from X-Force as this happens? :o)

Re: Big Blue, HP, Digging Deep / Make My Scary Competitors Go To Sleep

Thomas Ptacek — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:20:02 -0000

Does anybody believe IBM is going to keep any of the talent at ISS after the takeover?

I'm not just talking about the X-Force rock stars. I don't think ISS will keep their best client-facing people either.

It will be interesting to compare what happens here to what happened at @stake. I wonder which regional office is going to peel off and turn into a consultancy first?

If you were a (soon-to-be-ex)ISS-er, what would YOU do? Stay? How much would they have to pay you? Look how ISSX has been doing in the last 3 years. How many of their A-players are really handcuffed?

Re: Big Blue, HP, Digging Deep / Make My Scary Competitors Go To Sleep

PaulM — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:10:14 -0000

I agree with Josh. It's clear that IBM is uninterested in selling Proventia licenses, but very interested in getting a name brand MSSP offering for the Global Services division to leverage.

Speaking as someone who used to go head-to-head with GS for VAR/imp work, any time there was a significant security component to a project, they usually lost the business even to nobodies like me. They need this to round out a division that is flailing. Don't be surprised by another services/consulting buy in a different sector as IBM tries to patch the leaks.

Here's where I disagree with Josh - I predict HP does nothing in this sector in '07.

Re: Big Blue, HP, Digging Deep / Make My Scary Competitors Go To Sleep

Josh Daymont — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 11:37:58 -0000

HP and IBM are fundamentally different companies, even if they are still in the same markets. IBM today is a solutions and services company. HP is still hardware focused regardless of what they claim. My armchair quarterback prediction is that HP will partner rather than buy.