Frequently Asked Questions

Business Questions

What kind of services does BrightCloud offer?

Currently BrightCloud offers BrightCloud Web Filtering Services for a variety of OEM implementations. However, other services are under development.

What are the benefits for an enterprise security OEM in integrating BrightCloud MSP Services?

Adding the features and functionality offered by BrightCloud to an OEM solution not only can add significant value to an OEM's solution without the OEM having to either build a new technology and core competency or make a large investment in integration development. The BrightCloud MSP Services are designed to provide OEMs with:

Complimentary layers of security which are in high demand from their end customers.
A technology service that can be integrated across the full range of OEM product lines.
OEM owned and branded services that can be sold through the OEM's existing channels without channel conflict or customer ownership issues.
A web filtering solution that does not require integration with a vendor that has overlapping or even competing technologies.

The MSP based, OEM branded business model utilized by BrightCloud is a clear improvement on alternative options.

What are the benefits to an OEM's customers with an integrated BrightCloud Web Filtering Service?

An OEM's end customers' enjoy a variety of benefits from an integrated solution, including:

A richer security solution which includes best of breed URL filtering.
Enhanced security from internet based threats.
Increased enterprise productivity.
Reduced legal liability.
Enhanced ability to meet compliance requirements.
Virtually no added hardware or software to deploy the integrated solution.
The industry's lowest TCO for implementing URL filtering.

Integrating BrightCloud's Web Filtering Services into an OEM's enterprise security value proposition provides the customer with a significantly enhanced solution.

What kind of enterprise security OEMs are the best fit for the hosted model?

Because the MSP technology model scales across all types of devices, from smallest to largest, remote offices to enterprise data centers, the BrightCloud Services are flexible enough to address virtually any class of customer need. To successfully implement web filtering via an MSP model, edge security appliances and applications, as well as solutions targeting PCs roaming outside of the corporate firewall, are prime candidates for integration.

How does licensing and pricing work?

The OEM has the freedom to integrate not only the BrightCloud technology in the manner that makes the most sense for them, but to implement pricing in a way that works as well. Contact a BrightCloud representative for further information.

Technology Questions

What technology advantages does the MSP model provide for OEMs?

Using the MSP model, adding the features and functionality offered by BrightCloud to an OEM solution has significant benefits, such as:

Integrating the BrightCloud Service into existing solutions virtually never requires an increased hardware profile.
Direct integration with the OEM's management console, policy engine, and reporting infrastructure.
Technology services that are scalable across the OEM's product lines, from solutions targeted at small businesses, to those targeted at remote offices or roaming machines, to the data center.
Development efforts that can be leveraged across the same range of product lines.

How hard is the BrightCloud Services technology to integrate?

How hard is the BrightCloud Services technology to integrate?
Integrating the BrightCloud Services can be accomplished across a quick and lightweight development cycles, where typical development times range from one to four developer\QA months combined, depending on the complexity of the policy engine, reporting infrastructure, and management console with which the services are integrated. Reference platforms are available as development guides, as are performance metrics and testing services.

Is the BrightCloud URL database the same as that integrated with all the other OEM vendors?

No. OEMs can request specific URL database categories as appropriate for their product lines and customers.

What is the latency for uncached URLs?

Latency for an MSP model is subject to a variety of factors, including bandwidth, congestion, and hardware resources. However, web pages requested by a browser typically return information from ten (or up to twenty or more, in the case of the most popular web sites) different URIs. The BrightCloud request would add only a single additional request, and a lightweight request at that. The ultimate result is that the end user will likely have only an additional 5-10% delay in the fulfilling of their request, which is unnoticeable in virtually every case.

BCWS