GOLD MEDAL: SmartRisk Analyzer
@stake (acquired by Symantec), www.symantec.com
Rating: 87
Love is rarely an emotion displayed for an infosecurity product. But enterprise managers love @stake's SmartRisk analyzer service. They gush over its effectiveness at finding vulnerabilities in their network infrastructure, its ability to plug the holes and its quality service support. Such passion made SmartRisk Analyzer the clear gold award winner.
"You can't do better than @stake. I wouldn't say that about any other vendor I work with," says a security manager at a large telecommunications provider.
Unfortunately, this is a good product that's future is uncertain. @stake was acquired this fall by Symantec, which wanted the consultancy's professional services unit and expert talent. It has since discontinued SmartRisk Analyzer, making this the only award winner that's no longer supported.
SmartRisk Analyzer users swore by @stake's support and people, whose technical and relationship skills, they say, were second to none.
"@stake's technical competence was just top notch. Its people knew network security better than anyone," says a telecommunications security manager.
Being able to tap experts on the shoulder at will created a personal security blanket for @stake customers, and they obviously appreciated it. They never felt ignored in the way that they sometimes do with big consultancies.
"@stake was best of breed in its space because it was easy to work with and it responded to customers," says a corporate security officer at a large government agency.
These glowing user remarks reflect well for both SmartRisk Analyzer and @stake's customer service. It's no wonder Symantec wanted @stake's human capital.
SILVER MEDAL: nCircle IP360
nCircle, www.ncircle.com
Rating: 85
USER COMMENT: "nCircle has great technology, and it's very flexible."
BRONZE AWARD: QualysGuard
Qualys, www.qualys.com
Rating: 83
USER COMMENT: "QualysGuard runs remotely, so I don't have to do anything. It's like a shoot-and-forget missile."
MORE 2004 PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR
