Would you give your hard earned money to someone you didn’t trust? Would you invest in a company that couldn’t protect your investment?

Agio, the progressive managed infrastructure and cybersecurity firm, specializing in the alternative asset management space, found that high-stakes investors were shying away from the uncompensated risk of a cyberattack.

The challenge for Agio’s clients is simple: they lack the resources to scale their staff and infrastructure to provide world-class, 24×7 protection. As a result, Agio saw the opportunity to make security a strategic imperative, offering clients integrated IT and cybersecurity for a smarter, more efficient solution.

Agio’s vision meant building a cybersecurity practice that combined the best platform with the best people. Consistent with their commitment to deliver superior service by investing in people, process and technology, Agio acquired Secure Enterprise Computing in 2013, a 20+ year old, dedicated cybersecurity firm. This acquisition gave Agio the security expertise required to create an enterprise-level managed security service.

With Agio’s core business centered on providing service, rather than product, they needed a cybersecurity partner who could provide access to the most innovative products, while simultaneously offering a flexible pay-as-you go business model that would allow their cost conscious clients to scale quickly and cost effectively.

In October 2014, Agio selected Intel Security, largely due to their Security Connected platform and Managed Services Specialization. This partnership allowed Agio to deliver a scalable managed cybersecurity offering, addressing the client’s unique business needs.

“Intel Security is the best choice for managed services firms interested in building a successful security services practice.”

Agio’s Managed Security service took nine months of dedicated focus to birth, but winning 10 new clients in the first six months of the service launch only highlights how valuable the solution truly is to alternative asset managers. Agio leverages a number of key Intel Security technologies to provide its competitive advantage, including multi-tenant Next Generation Firewall, 24×7 threat monitoring with Global Threat Intelligence and centralized security management, providing visibility across the IT infrastructure, not just the endpoint with ePO (ePolicy Orchestrator).

“Agio’s goal has never been to reinvent the wheel; rather we work smarter to deliver services leveraging cutting-edge technologies. This model has allowed us to scale quickly, specifically with regards to Intel Security’s Managed Services Specialization and its flexible pay-as-you-go service.”

Recently Agio won the business of two extremely large, enterprise hedge funds by focusing on the client’s specific business needs for awareness, analysis and action of security data. Getting a long list of 40,000 vulnerabilities isn’t helpful. That’s where Agio’s people and industry expertise differentiate them from the competition. Agio delivers outcomes, not just information. It’s about analyzing the data, and leveraging their industry knowledge to prioritize actions.

Agio and Intel Security have formed an ideal partnership, whereby Agio provides superior service and client expertise, while Intel Security provides the technology innovation and program support. The partnership is in its infancy, and given this early success, both companies are thrilled about future opportunities and growth.