Introduction
Nowadays, cyber security is generally recognized as an indispensable part of cyberinfrastructure that defends information from intruders. Many IT companies work on leakage prevention by implementing new technologies such as autonomous defending platforms and threat-hunting systems. As users of vulnerable devices grow in number, the cyberinfrastructure becomes more and more deliberate correspondingly. The cybersecurity workforce is believed to support this infrastructure and secure people’s profiles. Still, some innovations in this sphere get popular and provide large profits to the companies that have launched them, whereas others remain unnoticed. If a tech company conducts proper business strategies to implement a certain innovation and promote it in the market, it is highly likely to succeed.
The Key to Success in Technology Business
Technology organizations are widely known as institutions that have a modern infrastructure and offer an innovative set of services. The task of such companies is to maintain their market share, despite the pressure of their providers and to benefit from the development of technology. In the context of the technological revolution, these institutions can choose from the following set of strategies (or their combinations). These strategies illustrate what approach to the implementation of a new technology a company may have:
- Conservative strategy – an institution refuses to implement large-scale technological tools and uses only those technologies that have become de facto mandatory on the market (for example, Internet banking). This may be due to a lack of resources or the small scale of the market and the conservatism of the target audience. Another goal of implementing such a conservative strategy may be to ensure better protection of user data. As part of this strategy, the company, in its gist, continues to remain unchanged. Usually, successful companies implement this very approach in case their products are already time-proven. For instance, Microsoft has no will to overwhelm society with something new because it has already gained recognition.
- Emulation strategy – the organization implements those innovative technologies that will help improve the efficiency of its functioning and the quality of customer service. In this case, a technology organization does not enter the market of technology services but uses technologies to support and promote a classic set of services. Like the previous one, it is not beneficial for a technology company that strives for innovations in the sphere of cyber security. Such old-fashioned companies cannot exist in the IT sphere these days because of the high rate of competition.
- Ecosystem strategy – a technology institution builds a cloud (ecosystem) of technological (and in some cases) services around itself. This approach allows the organization to maintain the traditional business model (and related advantages), benefit from entering the market of technology services, and achieve a synergistic effect from the use of traditional and innovative models at the same time. At the same time, it is necessary to minimize the risks associated with mixing these two models within the same institution. This strategy towards implementing new technologies is desired by all tech companies that seek market domination. For instance, Facebook has bought Instagram and WhatsApp because of its inability to create alternative services.
Admittedly, marketing is believed to be also a part of implementing new technology. After inventing something new, a company has to place this product in the market. It should research the market, learn the customers’ demands, and find the corresponding target audience. There are many strategies showing the way how a company may behave in the market. Furthermore, it is of utmost importance to foresee how new technology may be endorsed.
Indeed, many companies tend to describe their products in laymen’s terms using metaphors. It is done to help customers acquire a better understanding of how the innovation functions. At the same time, a company’s competitors are able to see that such a product exists, though it is not easy to steal it because advertisement is unlikely to give full insight into the technical specifications. The capabilities are usually proved through general terms and descriptions. This is the business strategy that practically all technology companies follow – the concealment strategy for the sake of self-defense.
Moreover, companies may use the so-called aggressive marketing that includes the analyzer, defender, prospector, and reactive marketing strategies. In fact, the analyzer strategy is about a high level of vigilance in examining the market. A company is supposed to think twice before advertising a new product. Without it, a company can easily have a decrease in profit because their stocks are bound to lower in price after an unsuccessful implementation of a new technology that turns out to be undemanded. Such things may happen spontaneously because of an incorrect analysis of a target audience’s needs or even a wrong choice of the target audience.
Another marketing pattern that is called the defender strategy, is also about striving for stability and keeping the profit. Its gist lies in the aspiration to find the market where a particular product or technology is highly valued. However, this seems to be dangerous in the long run because, as far as tech companies are concerned, there can be stagnation that is not conducive to success in this sphere. As the IT business is an area of innovation, companies have to take risks if there is any chance to develop something new. Otherwise, they are highly likely to follow Apple Inc’s steps. It used to dominate the whole IT market, but now it is generally recognized as losing its high position because of its profound fear of innovation after Job’s death.
Another strategy is prospector marketing, which focuses on new markets and opportunities in contrast to strategies that were previously described. It is sure to be a luring opportunity for tech companies because it is fully about searching for new ways. If a company wants to risk and find a new market for a brand new product, it is an example of prospector marketing. Its beauty lies in its aspiration for development and love for novelties. However, carrying out this strategy without sufficient research may lead either to success or a complete fiasco. As the second option is always a possible one, such a scenario may bring about a company’s doom.
Last but not least, reactive marketing serves as one of the unpopular strategies among tech companies. It differs from the prospector one because this strategy means doing nothing before the peculiarities of a company’s environment pressure it. Thus, it remains in constant stagnation from the very beginning. Such an approach cannot lead a technology company to success. It may be a good option for a conservative organization like a bank.
Darktrace Approach to Implementation of New Technology
The upcoming age of artificial intelligence brings about more and more technology companies in the sphere of data security. One of these is Darktrace, which was founded by a collaboration of cyber security experts and mathematicians in 2013. It uses “Antigena platforms capable of automation to identify threats at its earliest stages, including cloud-based vulnerabilities, insider attacks, and state-sponsored espionage” (Greig, 2020, para. 6). It might be clear from this description that this particular company is very innovative in its gist. This is why it follows the ecosystem technology strategy to keep pace with its competitors. In fact, it is the only way for such a company to have a profit because the market is full of innovations.
Still, they offer autonomous platforms to fight intruders that can be for the whole market in the nearest future. Autonomous programs or platforms can replace a wide range of IT professionals in the long run. This may serve as a threat to the whole sector because there will no longer be a need for cybersecurity experts. If there are any data breaches, there will be an autonomous system detecting anomalies. Darktrace may launch a system that will learn and improve every day like a human. It is an illustration of a prospector marketing strategy.
In fact, this particular company uses the most aggressive strategies of development because it is a perspective newcomer that is longing for rapid success. It is high time for it to risk everything to outplay monopolies and acquire the highest position in the market. On the one hand, such a risky approach may lead to prosperity in the long run. On the other hand, this company is always on the verge of losing profit because of the new ways that they suggest.
It is highly likely that Darktrace will go bankrupt in five years because of the implementation of an unneeded technology. They seem to risk too much by focusing on artificial intelligence in the area of data security. Nowadays, people are not prepared for this particular technology fearing Skynet coming true one day. I would suggest Darktrace launch an advertising campaign to draw more attention to its innovations and uproot prejudice against artificial intelligence in the area of cybersecurity.
Still, it is pioneers whom people are obliged for all significant technologies that were created n the past. Dreamers fight for the mere opportunity to promote the novelties that are sure to improve the world around them. What is concerned to be risky may become extremely popular in the nearest future. People like Jobs or Zuckerberg are called influencers for a good reason. This is why the Darktrace team has a chance to change the data security business once and for all, even if everything is against them.
CrowdStrike Approach to Implementation of New Technology
CrowdStrike is famous for being one of the most popular cybersecurity companies in the market. To cut a long story short, “CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform uses AI to give users quicker visibility and protection across their entire organization and focuses on preventing endpoint attacks” (Greig, 2020, para. 12). With Falcon, CrowdStrike is able to provide real-time protection and actionable threat intelligence as well as around-the-clock managed threat hunting (Greig, 2020, para. 16).
Probably, one may easily think that being a technology company, CrowdStrike has much in common with Darktrace concerning technology and marketing strategies. Still, it is surprising how much they differ at some points. It uses an ecosystem technology strategy in a more aggressive way than Darktrace. They are currently introducing their Falcon Platform to seek domination in the market. It can be referred to from two facts: they are famous for helping such giants as the United States Department of Justice and Sony Pictures.
As far as their marketing strategies are concerned, it is more of an analyzer because they are not even trying to be pioneers. They focus on expansion and deep insight into the target audience’s needs. Moreover, they create seminars to share opinions on cybersecurity. Their main policy seems to stay on the safe side and be vigilant. However, when it comes to promotion, they are ready to use ambitious statements and exploit notorious issues to attract people’s attention. This concerns their claims about Russian hackers, that is proclaimed to be the most dangerous in the world.
Somehow, this particular tech company places its stake on loud names and scandalous topics. A tech company, in general, is usually expected to gain fame for creating certain innovations. However, CrowdStrike aims to strike the crowd by means of any possible hype sources. It is shocking how this company succeeded in using hatred against Russia for the sake of profit. CrowdStrike uses politics to become famous, not innovative technologies ahead of time. Probably, exploiting people’s hysterics is the most unexpected way of popularizing technology products.
However unscrupulous CrowdStrike turns out to be, its strategy of implementing its technology products is highly likely to bring about success. There are no risky actions coming from its side so far. CrowdStrike investigates the market very attentively and quickly responds to its customers’ needs. In addition, it has a deep insight into current trends and is ready to use them for the sake of profit. Probably, they can never remain in history as technology pioneers, but it can hardly stop them from expanding and acquiring a high position in the market in five years.
It is interesting how future generations will evaluate both companies. There is a possibility that such companies as CrowdStrike will receive ardent criticism for their methods. An exemplary technology company is expected to make the world better and help people. In this case, aggressive marketing underlines the lack of courage that a company shows by not risking. Its attempts to gain popularity by blackening “evil Russkies” will probably be seen as a disgraceful act against peace. However, it is the piece that cybersecurity actually fights for. Meanwhile, it does not mean that companies such as Darktrace will acquire respect for their noble aspirations. Their peaceful mode of promoting innovations may lead them to collapse one day. Unfortunately, they will hardly be remembered after it.
Conclusion
To conclude, Darktrace and CrowdStrike seem to be very different as far as their technology and marketing strategies are concerned. Darktrace seems to be a pioneer in implementing sensational innovations and risking its profit all the time. It aims at making the world better, but noble motives may result in bankruptcy. Still, if it wins the race, it may easily dominate the market and prosper. In contrast to it, CrowdStrike dreads risks in order to keep the money. It is easier for them to attract people’s attention with scandalous claims. This strategy is bound to help them acquire popularity and the highest position in the market. However, people may never respect them for such a policy.
Reference
Greig, J. (2020). Eight leading AI/ML cybersecurity companies in 2020. ZD Net.