Daniel Kirsch | Source | Managing Director and Co-Founder of Techstrong Research at Techstrong Research

FireEye Failed, Mandiant is for Sale and it’s Time for Microsoft to Get Serious with Enterprise Security

An autopsy of FireEye’s missteps and why Microsoft should Acquire Mandiant and create a Security Division

It’s widely rumored that Microsoft (MSFT) is in talks to acquire Mandiant (MNDT), the company once known as FireEye (FEYE). As an industry analyst focused on cloud, cybersecurity and other disruptive technologies, I’ve been tracking FireEye and Mandiant for many years. In this article I will share three foundational problems that prevented FireEye from succeeding, and why I think a Microsoft acquisition makes sense.

IT organizations are hiring more business- and industry-focused employees, says Dan Kirsch, managing director at research and consulting firm Techstrong Research. “Although these employees might not have a computer science background, they understand how IT impacts the business and also have insights into the industry,” he explains.

To keep pace with evolving business trends and needs, a diversity of thought is necessary. “Many enterprise IT organizations have established practices of rotating rising leaders into business units so that they can better understand the pressures that the business is under,” Kirsch notes. “The most beautifully architected technology solution will have zero credibility if business teams don’t buy into it.”

IT leaders need to become masters at engaging their own organization, as well as business units, from leadership on down. “The most successful CIOs understand people, the business, technology, and things well beyond their control, like environmental, societal and political trends,” Kirsch says.

“There will be a number of foundations or other organizations that create a set of processes, principles, values, and ethics that Web3 projects must follow if they’re to be supported by the organization,” said Dan Kirsch, managing director, Techstrong Research. “Individual members will contribute their experiences, thoughts, and what works and doesn’t work. And there will be an advisory board that oversees the general direction of Web3 platforms.”