Microsoft's entry into the security software market has ramped up the price competition between traditional security vendors such as McAfee and Symantec, according to Symantec's chairman and CEO John Thompson.
Speaking at the offices of the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York, Thompson said Microsoft's decision last year to offer Windows Live OneCare, a service that combines firewall, antivirus and backup capabilities, for $49.95 per year for three PCs "clearly recast prior expectations for consumer security technology".
"I don't want to say it was monopolistic, but it looked that way to some of us," Thompson said.
Symantec released Norton 360, its competitor Windows Live OneCare, last March, but the product – at £60 in the UK for three PCs - costs more than Windows Live OneCare, but has the benefit of more features and Symantec's experience in security going for it.
See our Norton 360 review.
Using competitive pricing to try to get a leg up in a market where a company is weak is a common practice, and Symantec is no stranger to such pricing storms, Thompson said. "We have seen a continued focus on price competition in some markets and some channels," he said.
To say Microsoft has a long way to go before it can compete with the breadth of products Symantec has in the consumer and enterprise spaces is an understatement. Microsoft executives have acknowledged that the company took its time in realising the importance of security, but they are now determined to give Symantec and McAfee a run for their money with offerings like OneCare and the Forefront security line. Still, there is wide agreement that any serious heat from Microsoft in security is several years off, if not more.
Thompson said that his company is well-prepared to evolve with the industry and new competitors. As part of this evolution, Symantec plans to unveil its first software-as-a-service option this year, a backup service for SMBs called the Symantec Protection Network. That service will be rolled out in conjunction with the next version of its Backup Exec software.
"We've reinvented ourselves in the past, and we'll probably reinvent ourselves if not one more time than at least two more times" to keep up with industry changes, Thompson said.
Comments
William said: Hi I must say that the performance of the Windows security is unbeleivably fastreally fast and it make your entire system runreally wellIt tune ups the pc registrysbios and other items aaswell as backing upI would like to see the older companys come back and make an even better productBut using Mcafee or Norton at present is painfully slow and they do have alot of under lying problemsthat having been said I wish you all the best so that we can feel safe from even bill gatesI dont want to see the older companys loose it but at the moment you are all way behind the eight ballI hope you get better as atleast i would feel saferbut the word for your companys is not good on the street yours sincerely William