The European security software market will strengthen in 2012 as organisations adopt new cloud and mobile deployments, according to a new report from International Data Corporation (IDC).
The market will gain from the increased adoption of security software to boost cloud-based computing and mobile adoption, after flat, albeit positive growth in 2011, due to the most volatile economic region worldwide.
IDC stated that cloud-based security software, aimed to protect companies implementing private and public clouds, while mobile security software meets the data and device challenges of BYOD and consumerisation of IT.
The report found increased demand for both the softwares as companies look to reduce operating costs, offer more products and adapt to the needs of an increasingly agile workforce that use flexible office-based and mobile devices.
IDC European Security Software research director Kevin Bailey said as budget spend goes under the microscope, due to austerity measures and capital controls, CxOs and their management have appreciated the damage that security breaches can inflict on their organisation, in both financial and reputational terms.
"This has raised the necessity to advance security software as a strategic component of the IT infrastructure, creating the need for greater share of budget over the next few years," he added.
"This market is evolving from a reactive anti-malware execution-based implementation into a complex context aware protection mechanism."
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The survey found Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, Austria, and France will have the strongest growth of security software in Europe where the markets most promising were identity and access management and security and vulnerability management, although the secure content and threat management market still commands the highest revenue opportunity.
Cloud/SaaS-based security will be widely adopted due to the financial and business benefits it offers for customers and as vendors look to address the negativity around security threats.
IDC has lowered the security software growth forecast from the previously expected 8.9% to 5% in 2012 since current economic uncertainty and weakened GDP forecasts are expected to negatively impact the demand.
