The mutual ambiguity between Zhou Hongyi and Qi Xiangdong reflects the differences between 360 and Qi Anxin in the enterprise security business to a certain extent. There is no possibility of cooperation in the short term.
Editor’s note: This article is from WeChat public account “Intelligent Theory of Relativity” (ID: aixdlun), author Chen Xuanbin; authorized to publish.
On September 3, 360 government and enterprise security new strategy conference was held in Beijing, officially announced that after Qi Anxin completely “separated”, 360 government and enterprise security strategy entered the 3.0 era.
At the meeting, Zhou Hongyi was wearing a red T-shirt as usual, and he was very angry. He said frankly: “Today I sold some businesses that I didn’t like or disapprove, and I recovered the original investment and the authorized brand. , we will inject new strategies into the company, put in new goals, and recruit and organize new teams.”
This speech is particularly sharp. It is not difficult to imagine that Zhou Hongyi’s “dislike” and “not recognized” point to the independent Qi’an letter.
Similarly, as the chairman of Chi Anxin, Qi Xiangdong also questioned and disagreed with the “safe brain” strategy advocated by 360.
At the first Beijing Cybersecurity Conference (BCS 2019) on August 21, he bluntly said: “The role of a safe brain cannot be generalized…. A safe, generalized brain cannot solve security. Question.”
The two comrades who have worked together to fight side by side have shown two views that are almost backwards in the security of government and enterprises. Zhou Hongyi’s 360 advocates an open and extensive “safe brain” strategy. Qi Xiangdong’s Qi Anxin pays attention to it. The concept of “endogenous security”, which is aggravated and autonomous, can be described as the rhythm of the road.
360 and Chi Anxin: each has a special alliance relationship
” Moreover, Chi Anxin is not a new company. When we started planning for government and enterprise security in 2014, we registered Qi Anxin.”
Qi Xiangdong was interviewed by the media on BCS 2019, frankly dismissed the “360” brand and independently used the brand of Chi Anxin, which had no effect on his business.
Although it is a 360 internal incubator, Chi Anxin is not dependent on the parent company in the traditional mode of business, but instead dominates the security market of its government and enterprise.
According to the data, the revenue of the Chianxin Group in 2018 reached 2.394 billion yuan, an increase of 64.20% over the same period of last year. It is currently the largest 2B network security enterprise in China.
This situation can be traced back to the differences between Zhou Hongyi and Qi Xiangdong in the business direction, so the two sides areIn 2016, the company signed the “Agreement on the Implementation of the Framework Agreement for 360 Enterprise Security Business” and other related agreements and memoranda.
To this end, in the future business direction, Zhou Hongyi focused on the personal security software and hardware and service business of the c, Qi Xiangdong focused on the enterprise security software and hardware services of the b, reached the alliance of “360” as the endorsement of the brand Partnership.
However, with the transfer of the equity of Chi Anxin in 360, this partnership basically ended. Qi Xiangdong’s Qi Anxin can no longer use the name of “360” as the endorsement of the brand, and 360 is no longer limited by the agreement and stops at the edge of the enterprise security market.
Zhou Hongyi and Qi Xiangdong thoroughly “separated”, and 360 and Qi Anxin also separated.
Which partner has to go to the point of separation?
In fact, toc’s 360 and to b’s Chi Anxin are in a leading position in their respective market competitions. The cooperation between the two is undoubtedly a strong alliance.
In the face of the current situation, it is inevitable that there will be doubts. Does 360 and Chi Anxin really go to a situation that must be separated?
First of all, from the strategic point of view, the relationship between Zhou Hongyi and Qi Xiangdong reflects the differences between 360 and Chi Anxin in the enterprise security business to a certain extent. There is no possibility of cooperation in the short term. .
Zhou Hongjun’s “Safe Brain” strategy hopes to integrate network, AI, cloud computing, blockchain and other new technologies to perceive network security operations and trends through extensive data collection and intelligent analysis. An attack that may occur.
This path is an ecological approach that is broadly collaborative and open to the platform.
As Zhou Hongjun emphasized, “The new strategy of 360 government and enterprise security 3.0 will implement the development model of “building, sharing, empowering and investing” to build a safe and ecological environment, and not to be the destroyer and subversive of the network security industry. .”
In this regard, Qi Xiangdong believes that such a practice is too general and virtual, and is a business model of to c, and does not apply to the government and enterprise security market of to b.
On BCS 2019, Qi Xiangdong further explained the concept of “endogenous security”. “Endogenous security is more focused on the offensive and defensive process, referring to the continuous development of security capabilities from the information system. The business continues to grow and continues to ensure business security.”
Two strategic paths, Zhou Hongyi’s “safe brain” is open, forward-looking and ideal. Qi Xiangdong’s “endogenous security” focuses on aggregation, tradition and practicality.
In terms of an incompletely appropriate metaphor, the security of government and enterprise is seen as a fortress attack and defense war.
Zhou Hongjun’s expectation is to judge the enemy by acquiring intelligence.In the direction of the attack, directly send troops to block the enemy outside the city. In this process, intelligence is the key to security warfare, so Zhou Hongyi advocates platform-based openness, and hopes to cooperate with more security companies or Internet companies in the future to increase access to data.
Qi Xiangdong’s approach is to consolidate the walls of the fortress, improve the defense system, and steadily and steadily. As long as the enemy can’t attack, then this security war is a defensive party. Therefore, his focus is on the deployment of internal systems of the enterprise, and the internal forces are aggregated to be exclusive.
Of course, whether it is Zhou Hongyi’s “safe brain” strategy or Qi Xiangdong’s real “endogenous security” concept, it needs to be tested by the market.
Based on this, the two people’s “separation” has a very necessary reason.
Because of the difference in concept between the two, their respective tests are undoubtedly the best way. However, if the original relationship is maintained, 360 is limited by the fact that the agreement cannot cross the border between the government and the enterprise security market, and Chi Anxin is also struggling with independence and other issues that have not reached the target of listing.
Either both need a bigger stage. Under the cooperation, it is the helplessness of the team. Then the breakup is undoubtedly a kind of mutual relief and help.
After all, the pressure on the market is increasing, and more realistic reasons urge them to go faster.
On the one hand, although Qi’an’s revenue has doubled from 2016 to 2018 and achieved rapid growth, it has been losing money, with a net loss of 157 million yuan in 2018. The unprofitable state requires it to accelerate the pace of listing financing, increase investment, lay out the market, and build on the future.
On the other hand, according to 360’s 2019 semi-annual report, 360 Internet advertising and service revenue in the first half of 2019 was RMB 4.697 billion, down 1.16% year-on-year; Internet value-added service revenue was RMB 482 million. It was down 24.60% year-on-year.
Being in front of 360 is a severe growth pressure, to c’s business seems to have reached the ceiling, in the face of more and more kill time App, the traffic crisis has intensified.
In this regard, 360 urgently needs to find the next growth engine. Under the situation of poor feedback in the market such as search and hardware, Zhou Hongyi has taken a fancy to the future security market of government and enterprises.
From the share transfer in April, 360 and Chi Anxin’s brand segmentation was completed. In September, 360 officially announced the development of a new strategy for government and enterprise security. After Zhou Xiangyi and Qi Xiangdong parted ways, they gathered together on the safety track of government and enterprises.
This scene of love and death is constantly being overwhelmed by the discussion between the outside world and Zhou Qi, attracting the focus of all parties.
Evenly, when talking about the future relationship between 360 and Chi Anxin, Zhou Hongyi denied that there is a competitive relationship with Chi Anxin in the future, and said that the two sides will continue to deepen cooperation.
In this regard, Qi Xiangdong also said that with 360