Symantec: Who's afraid of Microsoft?

SAN FRANCISCO--Symantec outlined plans on Tuesday to defend its large consumer security business, as Microsoft detailed its push to enter the anti-spyware and antivirus market.

Company CEO John Thompson, speaking at a keynote speech and roundtable at RSA Conference 2005 here, said that Symantec would rely on the capabilities of its products to fend off the challenge. He said he would not rely on antitrust regulators, who keep an eye on Microsoft and the products it bundles in with its operating system.

John Thompson
CEO, Symantec

"I don't plan to go to the Justice Department and whine about Microsoft's monopoly," Thompson said. "I'd rather fight Microsoft in the marketplace, because I'm sure we'll whip them."

Symantec's ability to defend its consumer business is critical to the company, given that half its revenue and its rapid growth have come from selling antivirus and other security software to home PC owners and small businesses.

On Tuesday, also at the RSA security show, Microsoft said it will offer spyware protection for free to licensed users of Windows. The software giant also plans to beef up browser-based spyware protections with Internet Explorer 7.0, which will be available for public testing by the summer.

Microsoft's anti-spyware technology was picked up in its acquisition of Giant Software, part of a security spending spree that has sent shudders through the security industry. The Redmond, Wash., software company announced last week that it plans to buy enterprise security developer Sybari Software.

Symantec plans to charge consumers for its own anti-spyware application, which is expected to be released during the first quarter. It has yet to announce a price for its spyware protection product for home and small business PCs.

Symantec holds the view that customers will be willing to pay for anti-spyware that not only detects threats but also removes them.

Although Thompson said he is confident Symantec can weather a Microsoft challenge, he noted he does not yet know the details of what his company is up against.

"When Microsoft shows up with a real product, then we'll see what it can really do," Thompson said.

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At the RSA conference, Thompson also discussed the current shift in the security industry, where vendors are expanding beyond just offering technology to ward off worms, viruses and other threats. Security companies are also looking to develop products that offer corporate customers ways to store information and recover it easily after an attack.

"We are at the cusp of an enormous opportunity," Thompson said. "Where we once patrolled the borders, spotted the risks and raised the red flag, it's now about disaster recovery, systems availability and proactive protection of the network."

When the Slammer worm hit the Internet with a vengeance, it became evident that security companies needed to provide customers with the ability to bring back their data, Thompson said.

"We learned we had too narrow a view on what role we should play in protecting customers' assets," Thompson said. "We need to make information always secure and available. It's not enough just to make it just secure. That would be like putting all your information into a safe and forgetting the combination."

That realization, Thompson said, is what prompted his company to seek its merger with Veritas Software, a large systems and storage management company, part of a wave of consolidation in the security market that is prompted by customers' demand for the new approach to data protection, he said.

[technewsjunkie]

False Bravado

History says he should be very ,very afraid.

[201293546946733175101343322673]

Good for Symantec

Kudos for its CEO to fight with MS directly because its products are better for consumers. Unlike the CEOs in SUN and Real Network who do nothing to improve their business but to complain and complain and complain about MS all the time. In my opinion they are losers.

[Jeff Putz]

Start by making something that works

They can start by fixing the bux in NAV that prevents you from moving the start menu items without getting an error. Stupid.

[Al Johnsons]

fixing the bux in NAV

http://www.analogstereo.com/nakamichi/nakamichi_bx300_service_manual.htm

[bennybob]

Neither company is worth a damn

Microsoft is a little bit late. All of a sudden Bill Gates has discovered security. Virtually anyone with commmon sense all ready owns anti spyware, and antivirus software aa well as firewall software or hardware of some description.
Gates' pathetic entry is too little too late.

As for Symantec, I find it strange that their antivirus software has serious issues with Outlook, a major mail program. Unfortunately, Symantec does not have the guts to openly admit to the problem . In stead, users must search through the Symantec website to find that there are well documented problems and find that the solution is to turn NAV off. Way to go!

Also, more and more people are using home networks. I don't see Norton offering site licenses for such networks.

Microsoft, stick with what you do best, and get your product running properly. Symantec, work on improving your product, too.

[hhs2112]

Symantec should be afraid of Microsoft...

"rely on the capabilities of its products"?? Rely on the capabilities of his products to do what? Slow down your system?
Miss viruses?
NOT catch spam?
Crash Outlook?
Provide pathetic customer service?
[http://Enter Symantec prodcut flaw here...|http://Enter Symantec prodcut flaw here...]?

I was a looooooooooooooong-time Symantec user/fan/champion but have happily uninstalled the final piece of their software from my systems. Goodbye Norton, hello Trend Micro.

Q: What do WordPerfect, Novell, Lotus, RealAudio, etc., etc., etc., have in common with Symantec?

A: They too at one time had better products than Microsoft but due in part to misguided optimism they're dinosaurs.

Mr. Thompson, is Symantec's clock ticking??

[wjm]

Try it, you will like it

I too am skeptical of Big MS but I have to give them credit on their new Beta version of Antispyware program. I have mistakenly purchased Norton's 2005 Internet Security Package and thought I was pretty safe. But all of this spyware kept showing up even though I had set my program to protect me. I ran Pest Patrol, Spyware Guard, Spybot S & D, AdAware and the list goes on. But something was wrong in my machine. I registered my Windows OS and downloaded the Beta Version of MS's.

I love it and to this date nothing has come through on my system. That program redeems the MS guru and I can't say enough good about it. As for Norton, as soon as my subscription runs out, I am going back to Trend Micro. I have it on all of my other 8 computers and my mistake was relying on the hype that PC World and likes put out about their contribitors.

Ain't it a wonderful and exciting world.

[metmichallica]

You tell them Harry

All of which Norton charges for. I can't tell you how many times norton failed to detect a trojan or something (lots of times). I am currently using Mcafee Virusscan, but I am not happy with their service either.