IBM Survey: Security Vital to Telecom Services

ARMONK, N.Y. -- IBM (NYSE:IBM - News) today released findings from a survey revealing that global telecommunications carriers are increasingly viewing requirements for security as an opportunity rather than as an obstacle to be overcome. The results of the 2007 State of Security for Global Telecommunications Carriers survey mark a turning point in a highly competitive industry where the delivery of new services often has come at the expense of security considerations.

A key finding in this year's report reveals that only 36 percent of survey respondents said security concerns were hindering their rollouts of Internet Protocol (IP) based service bundles including voice, video and data. That number is down sharply from 2006 when 55 percent of carriers said security concerns were hindering delivery of new services.

"This survey shows what the market is already experiencing from recent mergers and acquisitions, including Verizon/Cybertrust and IBM/ISS: that security is a key ingredient for carriers as they move into next generation services and solutions," said Counse Broders, senior research director, telecom services with Current Analysis. "Clearly, those providers without a security solution in place risk losing their competitive edge."

IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM)