FireEye Brings Together Security Portfolio Under New Helix Platform

FireEye is bringing together its security products under a single, integrated platform, a move it says will help partners move away from point solutions and provide an overall better security outcome.

The platform, which the Milpitas, Calif.-based company is calling Helix, brings together its network, endpoint, Threat Analytics Platform, Advanced Threat Intelligence and FireEye Security Orchestrator into a single system with a single user interface. From there, customers can also add email, FireEye-as-a-Service, and additional threat intelligence and orchestration capabilities, as well as integrate third-party threat intelligence streams and alerts into a single pane of glass.

FireEye first demonstrated the Helix platform at its FireEye Cyber Defense Summit in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

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While most of the bigger security vendors, including Intel Security, Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks, have already moved to or are in the process of moving towards a similar platform-based vision, CTO Grady Summers said FireEye will distinguish itself with a high degree of automation capabilities and threat intelligence from Mandiant and iSight.

"There was a while where we were playing defense at FireEye and I think we're finally pulling all together all these pieces [and getting ahead of competitors]," Summers said.

The transition to a platform approach is especially important as customers look to consolidate the number of security vendors they work with for a lower total cost of ownership, Summers said. While FireEye's software was integrated point-to-point before, Summers said the new platform has a much more comprehensive set of integrations, including APIs, flexible integrations and third-party integrations, under a single subscription price.

Chris Carter, vice president of North American channels, said the new Helix platform will make it easier for FireEye to go to market through partners, both allowing for "building blocks" of different FireEye solutions towards the Helix platform, as well as simpler overall messaging on its value proposition.

"I think that’s fantastic strategy, a fantastic product… We will focus on selling the building blocks that will lead to full blown Helix orchestrator platform, but it will make it easier for partners to sell to their customers in smaller pieces and easier to consume pieces," Carter said. He said he expected the lead products for partners to be HX, Cloud MVX and ATP.

Albert Mimo, CEO at Glastonbury, Conn.-based Core Networks, said the rollout of the Helix platform moves FireEye from an appliance company to a company with a "complete solution" in his eyes, especially with its ability to incorporate technology from third-party vendors. As a partner that focuses on security services, such as penetration testing, vulnerability assessments and incident response, Mimo said that shift is especially important as moves away from "box pushing" towards services and solutions sales.

"It's completely changed my view of FireEye from an appliance company to a real cybersecurity company," Mimo said.

Nick Giampietro, partner and director of sales at G-Net Solutions, a Babylon, N.Y.-based FireEye partner, said the launch of Helix is what he has been waiting for as a partner, saying he has been "hearing some sizzle" from FireEye for a while about its product roadmap and now the company "showed us the steak." Giampietro said the platform, as well as other systems such as Cloud MVX that come in at a better price point for customers of all sizes, better matches up with how his customers want to buy.

"It is in lock step with what we're trying to do where it wasn’t before," Giampietro said.

The platform is expected to be generally available in late Q1 2017. It is currently in a limited early adopter program.