Symantec is overhauling its Norton security software, going from
nine products to a single offering for consumers as the company
turns its attention to smartphones and connected devices.
The new product, called Norton Security, doubles down on the
company's renewed focus on subscription models. In its most recent
quarter, when Symantec reported a $236 million profit on a 2% gain
in revenue to $1.74 billion, the company said it planned to
optimize the Norton business while streamlining product
support.
Norton Security, which goes on sale Sept. 23 and costs $80 a
year, will combine all of the antivirus, spyware, spam monitoring
and other features scattered across various versions of Norton
AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security and Norton 360. It most closely
resembles the Norton 360 Multi-Device offering that previously had
cost $100 a year but is now $70.
The new product can be used across a family's Windows and Mac
computers, as well as their smartphones running iOS and Android. It
includes other services, such as a password keeper, and offers
cloud-backup storage starting at an additional $10 a year for 25
gigabytes.
The one-size-fits-all approach to PCs makes sense for Symantec
at a time when security concerns are broadening beyond the
traditional battlegrounds to smartphones, tablets and other
connected devices, Fran Rosch, Symantec's executive vice president
in charge of the Norton business, said in a briefing with The Wall
Street Journal.
People who want a premium version of Norton Security and
Antivirus on an Android phone today have a choice: pay $30 for an
in-app purchase, or buy the larger subscription and log in as a
premium user. (People using iOS can't buy the premium version
through the app.)
The free version of the Android app scans downloads for malware,
while the full version includes antitheft controls, backup, call
blocking and an app monitor that looks for suspicious or
"unnecessary" activity, such as personal data getting uploaded to
the cloud.
While Symantec is putting all of its Norton products under one
PC roof, it will continue to have separate smartphone apps that
perform specific tasks.
Norton apps are available for iOS, but Rosch said Symantec isn't
focusing on iPhones and iPads. The way Apple controls its mobile OS
and app distribution makes the platform less of a security
challenge, he said. There is more opportunity on Android, which is
considered a more "open" OS.
Perhaps the best news for consumers: As part of the transition,
Symantec is easing back on preinstalled promotional software that
many PC buyers have come to label "junkware." Rosch says the
placement isn't worth the cost. To make the same profit as it does
on one direct subscription sale, he said, Symantec needs to convert
about five of the trial software users. The company declined to say
how much it pays to place trial versions of its software on
PCs.
That doesn't mean Symantec is walking away from its core PC
audience. It is working on a touch-friendly Windows 8 app, which
could give Norton more visibility in Microsoft's Windows App Store.
Thirty% of Norton's users are running the software on Windows
8--but only in the classic desktop version, not the touch-friendly
version, the company said.
The other area Symantec is turning its attention to is the
"Internet of Things," Rosch said. Symantec is working with
manufacturers to lock down the connected devices they build. Tiny
gadgets built for specific purposes usually don't have the
horsepower or battery juice to scan for viruses, Rosch said, but
Symantec has software that can help "white list" appropriate
programs to safeguard them from malware.
Symantec isn't completely ruling out an Internet of Things
product of its own in the future, Rosch said. It already prototyped
a "home security system" device--complete with a camera--but isn't
ready to release it at this time.
Write to Wilson Rothman at wilson.rothman@wsj.com
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