Symantec gobbles up PC Tools

[CharleyO]

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There may be no immediate changes nor intergration, but, you can be sure that both of these will happen ... given a little time.   


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[polonus]

Hi CharleyO,

Did not you know how it works? "Moloch eats children" you know, here it gobbled PC Tools,

polonus

[Vlk]

I'd say this time it's a bit different.

[DavidR]

What do you know that we don't Vlk

[Lisandro]

I'd say this time it's a bit different.

What do you mean?

[Vlk]

Well, if you look at the AV industry at a broader view, you can see that the current situation can roughly be characterized like this: there are small players that keep taking considerable market shares, reducing the market shares of traditional giants like Symantec and McAfee. Of course, I'm talking about small players like AVG, ALWIL/avast and Avira (all offering free products, essentially).

Now, the big players are not blind, and especially the investors standing behind these big companies are not very happy. Particularly in Europe, the situation is quite serious, with AVG in the UK (~35% consumer market share), avast in France (~45% consumer market share) and Avira in Germany (~52% consumer market share).

Now, Symantec had a couple of possibilities of how to cope with the new situation. One of them was to start offering Norton Antivirus for free, but that wouldn't be too wise as it could hurt the value of the Norton brand (still considered by the company as "premium").

A better way to solve the problem was to launch a new "budget" brand - offering cheap (or even free) solutions under a new brand, but still under the wings of Symantec, regaining the lost market shares. They could either develop the products themselves, or, more easily, acquire another well-established smaller company that would give them what they need.

And I think PC Tools is going to serve exactly this purpose.


Cheers
Vlk

[BJ_GeOrgE]

Well, if you look at the AV industry at a broader view, you can see that the current situation can roughly be characterized like this: there are small players that keep taking considerable market shares, reducing the market shares of traditional giants like Symantec and McAfee. Of course, I'm talking about small players like AVG, ALWIL/avast and Avira (all offering free products, essentially).

Now, the big players are not blind, and especially the investors standing behind these big companies are not very happy. Particularly in Europe, the situation is quite serious, with AVG in the UK (~35% consumer market share), avast in France (~45% consumer market share) and Avira in Germany (~52% consumer market share).

Now, Symantec had a couple of possibilities of how to cope with the new situation. One of them was to start offering Norton Antivirus for free, but that wouldn't be too wise as it could hurt the value of the Norton brand (still considered by the company as "premium").

A better way to solve the problem was to launch a new "budget" brand - offering cheap (or even free) solutions under a new brand, but still under the wings of Symantec, regaining the lost market shares. They could either develop the products themselves, or, more easily, acquire another well-established smaller company that would give them what they need.

And I think PC Tools is going to serve exactly this purpose.


Cheers
Vlk

well..i think it makes sense...they will use pc tools to offer freeware products and "fight" the smaller companies who offer freewares(like grisoft,alwil,avira etc)....they are EVIL :P:P
but they dont know that people know what symantec is...so i dont think they will have a big success...avast and avg are the top rated freewares antivirus and pc tools av is buggy...no need to mention norton programs...

[YoKenny]

Whenever Symantec puts its brand on anything whether Fee or Free I'll avoid it like the plague. 

When Symantec gobbled up Norton anti virus they became the largest AV vendor and they want to remain that way.

[Lisandro]

One of them was to start offering Norton Antivirus for free, but that wouldn't be too wise as it could hurt the value of the Norton brand (still considered by the company as "premium").

They could go ahead with this, I'm quite sure the bloatware for free won't increase their market share. There are too much not-Norton users in the world. Of course, it will increase the number of people using Norton... but for free, will Symantec earn with this?

A better way to solve the problem was to launch a new "budget" brand - offering cheap (or even free) solutions under a new brand, but still under the wings of Symantec, regaining the lost market shares. They could either develop the products themselves, or, more easily, acquire another well-established smaller company that would give them what they need.
And I think PC Tools is going to serve exactly this purpose.

Do you think our reaction to Symantec action isn't a sign that they won't win the freeware market share?
I wish I could help you get your firewall as fast as possible...

[Rafel]

Symantec buy competitors and dead them, simple as that.
Power quest and Sygate are the best exemples,hehehe.
PC tools AV will dead or in teh future it'll have the same engine as Norton.
It's the same as GM and all his brands o VAG (VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat...), Ford.
It has no sense two AV with different engines.
But we konw Symantec ever kills his "new acquisitions".

[gdiloren]

A better way to solve the problem was to launch a new "budget" brand - offering cheap (or even free) solutions under a new brand, but still under the wings of Symantec, regaining the lost market shares. They could either develop the products themselves, or, more easily, acquire another well-established smaller company that would give them what they need.

And I think PC Tools is going to serve exactly this purpose.


Cheers
Vlk

Vlk, I respect your point of view, but it's hard to understand why Symantec would want to take off the market off the Norton's to promote another new brand cheaper or free. Cheaper, they'll make less MONEY. Free, they'll make no money at all, they'll lose money. No for me, I see PCTools' FUTURE as BLACK and very dark!

[Lisandro]

Free, they'll make no money at all, they'll lose money.

Market share.
avast gets Pro users having a free version.
I don't think they will lose money. What I think is that they won't get smart users market share.

[polonus]

Hi gdiloren,

Cannot you understand the attitude, like the dog that does not eat because he does not want others to eat.

pol

[gdiloren]

Hi gdiloren,

Cannot you understand the attitude, like the dog that does not eat because he does not want others to eat.

pol

I see.
But it's "easier" to "kill" the guy... so to speak.
Less choice.
We're left with Norton BIG GIANT, and we...oh no...buy or at least are forced into it, somewhat.

[neal62]

Well, this ought to be interesting to see what happens. Hope I am around to see it, feel sure I will be.