Novell has launched a worldwide eBusiness security initiative that brings together industry-leading products, partners, consulting and education programs to help companies overcome security challenges to a successful eBusiness strategy. Novell launched this new initiative in conjunction with a new study released today by IDC "Managing Secure eBusiness," which highlights how a dynamic eSecurity strategy can dramatically increase revenues for companies.
According to IDC, the explosion of eCommerce, forecast to reach US $1.6 trillion (about R12 trillion) by 2003, is offering organisations of all sizes new opportunities for growth. The potential customer base from the Internet is growing dramatically - from 327 million online users in 2000 to 600 million users in 2003. Organisations must open up their systems to unprecedented levels of users. However, they must also invest more in security. Current IDC research shows over 75% of companies spend less than 10% of their IT budget on security initiatives.
According to the IDC research, commissioned by Novell, the next phase of eBusiness will be driven by electronic relationships and eCommunities. This validates Novell`s one Net vision 3/4 enabling companies to break down traditional network boundaries to create new interactions with partners, suppliers, employees, and customers. Using Net services software from Novell and industry-leading partners, consulting firms and education programs, companies can dramatically accelerate their transformation to eBusiness by adopting an eSecurity policy around controlled, managed access throughout a distributed environment.
"The research findings from IDC show security is the main inhibitor in moving to an eBusiness environment for many companies," said Novell e-business development manager James Thomas. "Novell and its partners are actively addressing the security problems companies are facing by launching this comprehensive eBusiness security initiative to help companies better understand the risks involved and mechanisms that deliver the best solution. The utilisation of a full-service directory service, like Novell`s NDS eDirectory, provides the foundation for the most effective and efficient centralised security system available. Through the use of the directory and other Net service software from Novell and its partners, security policies can be set and managed by one central administrator, no matter how decentralised an organisation is."
By opening up internal systems to partners, customers and suppliers, eBusiness can significantly reduce costs while increasing revenue. Novell is today capable of supplying the necessary technologies for the dynamic eSecurity policies outlined by IDC, cementing its position as the leading provider of Net services software.
Pim Bilderbeek, vice-president at IDC said, "In the past, attitudes about security have been based on the cost of installation, offset against the likely negative cost implication of a security breach. However, as market dynamics change between an organisation, its partners, customers and employees, the business pressure to extend online access suggests that security actually enables new kinds of business process."
We believe enlightened organisations are beginning to regard the security of their systems not as an insurance policy, but as a competitive advantage," continued Bilderbeek . "This is the right approach if businesses are to take full advantage of the new market dynamics brought about by eBusiness. By creating trusted business platforms, an organisation can maintain high degrees of flexibility and launch new initiatives very quickly, without being constrained by poor security."
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