IBM won the coveted “leader” title in IDC and Forrester’s latest global managed security services market reports, narrowly coming out on top of Accenture in IDC’s MarketScape and beating several tier-one operators’ managed security arms including AT&T Cybersecurity, CenturyLink, NTT, and Telefónica’s ElevenPaths.

In IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Managed Security Services 2020 Vendor Assessment, IBM tops the “Leaders” quadrant. For this report, IDC studied 17 global managed security services providers, and surveyed more than 20 customers using their services in 2020. The analyst firm lists each vendor’s strengths and challenges in the report. It says IBM Security Services’ strengths include its breadth of security capabilities, use of advanced technologies for threat detection and response, and its local delivery capabilities able to address customer needs such as the journey to cloud, application security, threat intelligence and threat management operations.

However, IDC says customers expressed some dissatisfaction with IBM’s ability to demonstrate value for services, technical support, and portals, which customers said don’t provide any flexibility for customized reports. Additionally, IBM’s managed security services don’t work as well with non-IBM security information and event management (SIEM) and security orchestration and automation (SOAR) tools, according to the challenges section of the report.

It says midsized to large enterprises, and especially those that already use IBM security products or are looking to replace their existing ones with IBM, would benefit from IBM’s managed security services.

The IDC MarketPlace also ranked Accenture as a Leader, and noted its breadth of services, advanced analytics and automation, and its ability to understand its clients’ business, regulatory, and technical issues among its managed security services strengths.

Earlier this year, Accenture acquired Symantec’s Cyber Security Services business from Broadcom. The deal made Accenture one of the leading global managed security services providers and boosted its global threat monitoring and analysis through a network of security operations centers (SOCs), real-time adversary services, and industry-specific threat intelligence and response.

While IDC noted the ways in which Symantec’s Cyber Security Services will strengthen Accenture’s capabilities, it also warned the company’s buying spree could be a challenge. Accenture built its security business through acquisitions. In addition to Symantec, these include FusionX, Maglan, Cimation, Deja vu Security, and iDefense. “Accenture has moved fast in the past several years, acquiring several companies,” the report said. “While this can be a strength in the future, integrating the people as well as the technology into the platform may be challenging.”

It concludes that “midsize to large organizations with global operations in verticals that need tailored or industry-focused security solutions should consider partnering with Accenture.”

Although IBM and Accenture top the Leaders, IDC puts a slew of other managed security services providers in this quadrant as well. Other Leaders include Trustwave, AT&T Cybersecurity, Secureworks, Deloitte, Capgemini, Verizon, NTT, DXC Technology, BT, and Wipro.

Meanwhile, the Forrester Wave: Global Managed Security Services Providers, Q3 2020, evaluated global managed security services providers and scores the top 15.

This report ranks IBM Security Services, Trustwave, Alert Logic, and Secureworks as Leaders; Accenture, EY, AT&T Cybersecurity, Optiv, Wipro, and Deloitte as Strong Performers; CenturyLink, ElevenPaths, NTT, and Capgemini as Contenders; and Cognizant is a Challenger.

Forrester noted that IBM Security Services successfully integrates much of the broader IBM portfolio. “IBM Security Services analysts can now take advantage of Watson Advisor to help accelerate incidents, and automation via the Resilient [SOAR] platform is available as well.”

Like IDC, Forrester also suggests companies with a sizable IBM stack of technology and those that don’t want to use third-party SEIM and SOAR vendors should check out IBM Security Services.