British Telecom tells vendors to collaborate

INSECURITY EXPERTS at BT have warned IT industry leaders that they must develop more collaborative technologies.

Ahead of the security summit, Info Security Europe, Ray Stanton, global head of BT's business continuity, security and governance practice, urges vendors to pull together. "Collaboration is nothing new," he burbled.

Arguably, it is for BT, some telecoms rivals might argue.

Stanton continues with his lecture: "Today technology is redefining the level of collaboration that is possible. Modern networks now allow industry rivals to share data to ward off fraud; businesses from different sectors are teaming up to co-develop products; extended supply chains are automating more shared processes to create efficiencies. This way of working, combined with the other trends, throws up serious implications for security. But it also offers valuable lessons for security vendors."

Yes, the company formerly known as British Telecommunications, formerly known as the GPO, has some advice about competing on the open market. The former state owned monopolist, often criticised for an alleged ruthless exploitation of its monopoly of the telecoms infrastructure, has decided to open its heart to theInquirer and urge us all to pull together for the common good.

There are fundamental shifts occurring in business technology that make it vital for vendors to adopt a more collaborative approach, it tells us.

Four key trends are having a significant impact upon the security landscape businesses now face: convergence, flexible working, the regulatory environment, and collaboration itself. Security products must therefore be built based on open standards for interoperability to mirror the changing business landscape.

So powerful is BT's stranglehold over the telecoms market in the UK that many rivals are loathe to criticise the behemoth on the record. But one offered this illustration of BT's attitude to openness.

"First BT wouldn't let anyone in their exchanges, saying there wasn't room. When they lost that battle, their legal team, which was bigger than most companies, found new loopholes. There wasn't enough power, they said. Then it was rackspace. Finally, they argued that it wasn't secure for their hardware to sit in the same building as someone else's," said a critic.

So how can BT argue that software companies should share their security secrets, when it wouldn't even let other companies place a box anywhere near its shelves?

The BT boss remains blissfully unembarrassed by the irony of his statements. "In order to effectively and securely seize the opportunities of the new world order, common standards and technologies are needed," said Stanton.

Some vendors think aren't even impressed by BT's more recent rack record on updating network infrastructures.

Stephen Beynon, MD, NTL:Telewest Business says: "At the moment just a few people sat in Cardiff are benefiting from BT's 21st century network. Is this really 21st century business communications?" µ