More security bang for fewer bucks

Consumers now are getting more for less of their money when they buy security software.

Microsoft's entry into the consumer security software arena in late May has made PC protection cheaper, according to data from The NPD Group. At the same time, security products are becoming more comprehensive, analysts said.

"Microsoft is really shaking up this whole market in terms of pricing," said NPD analyst Chris Swenson. Moreover, with Windows Live OneCare Microsoft has also challenged the bundling strategy of its competitors, forcing them to add features instead of selling them separately, he said.

Average retail prices for security suites and PC care packages hit a two-year low in July at $54.57, and the pricing trend continues downward, according to NPD data compiled late last week. With Microsoft's entry, stalwarts Symantec and McAfee have to beef up their products and will have a tougher time selling them at a premium, analysts said.

The introduction of OneCare heightened the battle for consumers' security dollars. There's a lot at stake. Last year, the worldwide market for consumer antivirus software reached $1.95 billion, up 17 percent year-over-year, according to research from Gartner. Symantec dominated the space, taking 70 percent of the pie.

So far, OneCare has made a splash. The product held the No. 2 spot in sales of security suites at U.S. stores in June and July, the first two full months that it was available, according NPD data. OneCare is by far the cheapest option, with an average retail price of $34.02 in July, versus $60.93 for Symantec's security suite and $63.24 for McAfee's suite software.

"I expected a lot more market share gain (by Microsoft), to be honest. It has been pretty pathetic."

--Bari Abdul, McAfee

"Microsoft is entering the market with a bang. They are significantly cheaper than their competitors and will gain market share," said Natalie Lambert, an analyst with Forrester Research. "It will bring down pricing, no doubt, and Microsoft has also caused companies such as McAfee to offer multiple tiers of protection."

Microsoft is not always successful when it enters new markets. Intuit, for example, still leads in small-business accounting, a market Microsoft entered last September with its Small Business Accounting Software 2006. However, Microsoft should be taken seriously in security, Swenson said. "I think they got the mix right," he said.

	List retail price
Windows Live OneCare	$49.95 for up to three PCs per year
Symantec Norton Internet Security Suite	$69.99 (single PC)/$119.99 (three PCs)*
McAfee Internet Security Suite	$69.99 (single PC)/ $89.99 (three PCs)*

*McAfee updated its products in August; it previously charged $139.99 for three PCs.

Sources: Company Web sites

Microsoft's security focus
Often chided for the lack of security in its products, Microsoft has been working for nearly five years to improve its security posture. The company has made several high-profile security hires and with OneCare is now selling a product to secure Windows PCs, an area it previously left to others.

OneCare hit U.S. store shelves in late May, three years after Microsoft announced its intent to move into the antivirus realm. The product combines antivirus, anti-spyware and firewall software with backup features and several tune-up tools for Windows PCs.

In the wake of OneCare's announcement, Symantec and McAfee are both bundling more functionality than ever into their products to make them more appealing.

McAfee earlier this month released a new family of products and for the first time included a safe Web search feature, a firewall, and PC maintenance tools in VirusScan Plus, its most basic variant, with a list price of $39.99.

[n3td3v]

Microsoft please please kill off Symantec

Should OneCare be free? Microsoft could do it...and Symantec etc would die overnight. Make OneCare free for two years, wait for Symantec etc to go bankrupt then start charging for OneCare full rate after the Sy-evil-mantec die a death.
Even if Microsoft don't make OneCare free Sy-evil-mantec will die anyway, since the Microsoft Vista kernal doesn't support any third party security vendors. Microsoft are planning to make Symnatec go bankrupt on multiple fronts which hasn't been mentioned in this article. I hate Symantec and fully support Microsoft on their efforts to kill Sy-evil-mantec.

[ittech1]

Symantec has dropped the ball for years

It seems that Symantec products have been lagging behind for about 3 years now. There flagship Norton product is a waste of disc space in my honest opinion.

Panda and TrendMicro however continue to make great strides forward in eliminating any type of malware from PC's and Servers..

[john55440]

If it's bad for Symantec...

it must be good.:-)

Symantec just keeps getting better and better,...

at making their customer DISsatisfied.

[Heebee Jeebies]

I...

Second the request. Please put them out of our misery. They suck and so does their software. They think that by changing the year data and putting on a new interface that makes its a new version. They haven't be innovative in years. Time for them to be killed off.

R

[Manavd]

Symantec will stop virus writes and viruses like ...

I am sure there are hardcore onecare fans and virus writers that want to kill symantec. To promote viruses. Let me tail you that is no going to happen. Symantec will stop viruses and virus writers. Take care. World is good with Symantec.

[umbrae]

Just what we need...

Security on the cheap...

[Europodboy]

Security on the cheap

If you want security on the cheap - get a Mac. OSX is totally
secure (Zero viruses - yes Nil in the wild) and does not need
anything from Microsoft, Symantec, McAfee or anyone else for
that matter.
Oh and by the way - shouldn't Microsoft be offering their
security suite for free since its their bloated, buggy, insecure OS
thats the problem anyway?

[imacpwr]

More Security Bang For ZERO Bucks..!!!

That's right.. ZERO BUCKS..!! Gezz.. you could have got a Mac..!!
ROFL..!!

[Sumatra-Bosch]

MS Security? Sure and Chales Manson for Police Commissioner

Anyone who would buy a security product from Microsoft would buy meat from Jeffrey Dahmer.

Roberto

[kakman1]

You want security - change your OS

Dump Microsoft - get either a Linux distro or a Mac (or Xserve). Now you don't have to fret about choosing Symantec or Microsoft for security and get the most bang for your security and productivity buck.

[The Harper]

Symantec abusing customers for YEARS! Kill 'em off.

It is about time that someone lights a fire under Symantec. For years their products have become slower, buggier, bulkier, and more expensive. For the most part their yearly "updates" are the exact same offerings as the previous year, but with new graphics (which take up more memory) and a new date stamped on the box. Word on the street is that the Norton 2007 products coming out in September will be more of the same: A new user interface and a bunch of graphics, with no new underlying functionality.

Enter Microsoft. A lower pricepoint, more stable product offering, and more sensible user interface should inject some sensibility into Symantec. Symantec has been allowed to take advantage of consumers with their sub-par offerings for YEARS... STOP THE MADNESS!!

[john55440]

Symantec abusing customers for YEARS! Kill 'em off.

Agreed! NAV-05 and NPF-05 are fine, if overpriced, but I wouldn't touch their bloatware suite, or their 06 stuff, or any future Symantec product.

In addition, Symantec works really hard to cheat their customers out of legitimate rebates.

[technewsjunkie]

SHORT TERM gains for consumers!

In the end the Microsoft's one-time-partners will be put out of
business and the employees laid off because the profit margins
needed to compete with FREE/BUNDLED software will disappear.

We've seen this over and over and over again.

[Macsaresafer]

True.

One care and the Plays-for-sure fiasco beg the question: Why
partner with Microsoft at all? It's virtually guaranteed that they'll
turn against you at some point. When they do, you had better have
an alternate business plan ready, because competing with a
monopoly is a whole lot different from profiting by their good
graces.

[Europodboy]

Mac

Only a mac will allow you to run OSX Windows XP and Linux. -
FACT.

[Lindy01]

and

people are just rushing out to stores to buy Mac's for this purpose. You should see the lines!

I think I saw the news media down there covering this huge event.

Who really cares.......not many all the numbers prove this to be true.

[dotmatt]

Incentive for fixing the OS?

If Microsoft is making money supplying software that (arguably) corrects holes in their OS, what is the incentive for fixing the OS? Isn't there more profit for them in *not* fixing the OS, and making money on this seconday package?

It's like buying a car, finding out the company knowingly sells cars with bad brakes, and having to pay extra for good brakes.

[imacpwr]

M$, it's the OS mafia..

Since they've rubbed out the competition M$ can sell you a faulty
OS, a little later another " M$ family member" wants to sell you a
little "protection" so you don't get hurt..
Read this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extortion
makes you wonder if Microsoft isn't breaking the law with their
"protection scheme"

[dotmatt]

Why not?

Why do you claim Linux isn't ready? Ubuntu and SuSE are fine, simple, easy desktop distros, supplying everything I and my family need.

[NoNoBadDog!]

Please Kill Symantec

You would trust your security to Microsoft?

Norton is still far better than OneCare Live!

[NoNoBadDog!]

Get Linux Instead

First, there are viruses and exploits that affect Linux; it is not bulletproof. While they are far fewer in number, Linux is far from safe.

Second, the average user would find the Linux interface and the experience less than Windows.

It is sad to always hear the inevitable "get *nix* when it has no bearing in a theread like this.

Bobby

[GrandpaN1947]

Pretty good racket here

Just what we need, a company to manufacture an OS and the same company to manufacture fixes for the OS.

[imacpwr]

proves what point..?!?!

At what point did I say Apple approves of the hack..??? Heck, even
Apple supplies us with a hack that we can install M$ XP on a Mac
and they supply absolutely NO Support..!! Why should they..??
Windows isn't part of Apple and pc's aren't Apple computers. Or
were you maybe hoping a pc maker like Dell is going to give you
support for a hack which puts OS X on their machines..??

[imacpwr]

oh well.. this was meant for another thread..

must have clicked on reply to subject instead of another thread.

[i_made_this]

So What?

Would this be the same MSFT that plans to unbundle IE from Vista? The same company playing kissy kissy with Mozilla? The same company that will code its "CRITICAL WINDOWS/IE AND WINDOWS ONECARE UPDATES" for Vista so that we can install them using Firefox without ActiveX?

The header for this article - all respect, c|net - should've properly been LESS SECURITY BANG FOR MORE BUGS.

The subhead might've been WOULD YOU TRUST THIS COMPANY WITH YOUR SYSTEM SECURITY?

The sub-subhead might've been HEY! SHOULDN'T MICROSOFT PAY US TO USE WINDOWS ONECARE LIVE??

And BTW why do we care exactly if MSFT steals market share from SYMC? No way on heaven or earth Windows OneCare will push the prices of the leading security suite major players. Sorry to be cynical but all OneCare will do is push down the quality of those security suite providers. This, in turn, will NOT benefit consumers and for that matter anyone who uses computers on earth. Just my two cents.

[myork_cnet]

If symantix were anti-virus only

With the purchase of Veritas last year, Symantic now has a whole host of Enterprise class products that will provide a meaningful revenue stream even if consumer anti-virus revenues dry up.

[nanarita]

what's left out?

With the trend of comprehensive computer care, mostly centered around protecting you computer from incoming data, where is the inclusion of software to protect your outgoing data? Identity theft happens in a myriad of ways, including interception or snooping of email, which can be prevented with email anti-theft software. Software such as Taceo allows a sender to prevent their email from being forwarded or edited, and does much to authenticate email as legitimate.

That sounds like a step towards "healthy"...

[Steve Hirst]

What A Joke

And Why do you have to buy??? Why change operating systems, live with a silly Mac Toy. Why??? They create the problems then sell you the fix...

An ISP will be delivering a solution that is ISP based and requires you to do nothing to achieve total and complete security from any PC u r on... even a " we need " Windows" running Mac LOL...

No protection per copy purchased BS either!!!
Protection whenever from wherever, thus ISP based...

Watch... there is another solution coming, an out of the box solution... actually what box ???
Time for new thinking to a very serious problem.Time has arrived...

[Europodboy]

What are you smoking?

Well........ It sounds like English, but makes no sense whatsoever.
Perhaps you could translate?

[jtannenbaum]

When???

So when is it coming???

[Steve Hirst]

translation

Sorry Euro, I have been told I speak Klingon LOL.

Ok think out of the box ...

Everything is on-line at www.notme.com

An ISP connects Point A to Point B right? What if they didn?t???

What if an ISP "Fetched" what you wished to see? What it is you wish to purchase???

"Fetch". Point A is the user, Point B the web site desired...

Fetch has its advantages...
1) I can't get a thing from the site I visit, Point B; I'm not there, NotMe
is, NotMe fetched it, scrubbed it and gave me a nice clean safe page... now
point B will know where I go in Point B but will have no clue who I, Point A am...None, its impossible because I am NotMe =) Can u imagine a webmaster looking at his RDNS report NotMe, NotMe ~ ~ ~ ... I do have a twisted sense of
humor LOL.

2) Point A can be anywhere. Home PC's, work Laptop, blackberry, blueberry...
Tin can and string LOL. If I am on the net, I am not me by simply going to
NotMe and surfing just like I normally do, Favorites...everything. NO LEARNING
OR DOING CURVE and as an extra added benefit... No History traces anywhere. Yo (Philadelphia Term ;) History, wherever it is recorded in that PC, Laptop, blackberry, blueberry... tin can and string says www.notme.com/fetch:urlyadda.aspx a expired link, ... anyone who comes by later
and wants to check history, cookies in the PC sending my info wherever...useless. Links. The History... notme, notme... twisted yea
LOL

Identity stolen... NotMe
get tons of spam... NotMe LOL
Virus, Trojans, Worms... NotMe

I think that is English. I know it?s a US Patent, so realistically I can speak English because the Goverment doesn't seem to understand it =)

Steve Hirst
www.maat.net Internet RnD

[Macsaresafer]

Bad idea.

It won't work. It will slow things down and www already stands
for World Wide Wait. What you're really talking about is so-called
'thin computing' where most of the processing and storage is
handled by servers and the user's computer is really just a smart
terminal.

That's been a goal for a lot of techies for a long time and it is
always just a computer generation or two away. Once we have
enough raw power, we'll be able to do it, they say. The problem
is, we'll never have enough raw power. Every time we get faster
computers, we find more uses for them. Faster servers for
example, just get more users, leaving no room for scrubbing
every file AND every piece of data AND every request that comes
through the way you've described.

[jtannenbaum]

www.notme.com

so all I have to do is make notme.com my home page and surf from there???

[btljooz]

Why buy when

there are PLENTY of FREEWARE programs (some of which are BETTER than the paid ones) to choose from.

And YES, Linux IS looking better and better all the time!!! ;)

[Macsaresafer]

Empty threat.

Microsoft won't put out a decent product until they have to, and
that won't be until they see their monopoly slipping away. If
you're still buying from them at this point, you're encouraging
them to keep producing this crap.

So the question is, if Linux is looking better, then why haven't
you switched? The debate in the future will be Linux vs Mac, with
Windows an also ran for people who need legacy software. Until
that happens there will be plenty of viruses, spyware, and other
malware to deal with. People who refuse to stop feeding the MS
gravy train are just holding the rest of us back.