Channel Best-Sellers: Network Security Hardware

network security

Cisco, WatchGuard Technologies Inc. and 3Com Corp. dropped less than 1 percent in share, with SonicWall Inc. and Juniper Networks Inc. posting more significant drops. Add up the distribution share losses by the top five vendors, and you wind up with an almost 5 percent chunk of channel market ceded to smaller and up-and-coming rivals.

That's not a huge number, but it's a trend that solution providers like Matt Briese think they know why is happening.

"I've been a pretty loyal 3Com and WatchGuard customer—3Com for 15 years and WatchGuard for eight. When they were smaller, you got better service from them," said Briese, owner of Rochester, Minn.-based Briese Computer Services, adding that he's been exploring alternative options of late."