Joint consumer Internet security service to help companies compete against rivals such as: Google and Microsoft.
Yahoo, in partnership with Symantec, launched an Internet security software suite dubbed Norton Internet Security and designed to protect online users from threats like viruses and spyware, the companies said in a statement.
The agreement between Symantec and Yahoo, which will see the Norton range of consumer security products offered to Yahoo users at a heavily discounted rate, is more than simply an expansion of their previous collaborations. It heralds the beginning of a war in the software security space.
The suite includes Symantec’s Norton AntiVirus and Norton Personal Firewall products. Yahoo users can try it out for free for 30 days, after which they can purchase a 12-month subscription for $50, which the vendors described as a "special promotional" price.
Yahoo will promote the suite on its Web sites, like its search engine, and on its products, like its browser toolbar.
Yahoo and Symantec have collaborated for years. For example, Yahoo uses Symantec security technology in Yahoo Mail and the companies offer a co-branded browser toolbar.
The two companies said they would offer Symantec’s Norton Internet Security product directly to Yahoo customers in an expected deal that expands an ongoing partnership and seeks to take advantage of growing consumer demand for more Internet protection.
The deal also gives Symantec access to the hundreds of millions of customers who use Yahoo services and helps the software maker fend off Microsoft, which is making a big push into the potentially lucrative consumer security market.
AOL’s Similar Service
AOL and McAfee have already teamed up to offer a similar deal to AOL users and the pricing of the Symantec package at $50 mirrors the Windows Live OneCare offering from Microsoft.
With this new deal, Yahoo is responding to a similar suite that rival AOL is now testing called Total Care, which includes technology from McAfee, a Symantec competitor.
The deal also increases distribution for Symantec, a timely boost after Microsoft launched its OneCare PC security suite in June. OneCare, which includes antivirus, backup, firewall, antispyware and PC tuning features, costs $50 for an annual subscription covering up to three Windows XP PCs.
The major security vendors have been telegraphing their own insecurities ever since it became apparent that their former partner Microsoft signaled its intent to compete against them. Microsoft needs to find new markets to grow and security software for its own customer base is a no brainier.
Consumers need and want all the help they can get to protect themselves from the dizzying and ever-expanding variety of online dangers.
For Yahoo, the offering helps assure customers that the Internet is a secure place to do everything from banking to travel planning to job searches as it battles against Google and Microsoft to be the dominant Internet services provider, the companies said.
Companies like Yahoo know that providing security services and products helps them retain users and attract new ones. It also encourages users to spend more time online, which is critical to Yahoo’s online-advertising based business.
“Internet security is important to our Yahoo users, and by working with Symantec, we are bringing the comfortable security blanket that their Norton brand services provide to consumers,” said Stephen Miller, director, product management, Yahoo.
For the past year or more, the security vendors have been flailing around in many directions trying to make sure they stay relevant and maintain a grip on their customers. Symantec, realizing its vulnerability in the consumer anti-virus space decided to diversify and bought storage management company Veritas in 2005.
Yahoo and Symantec said they will market the co-branded Norton Internet Security service throughout the Yahoo network, which includes Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Toolbar and Yahoo Search, and other online services.
In addition, Symantec will also offer Norton Spyware scan for the Yahoo Toolbar and a co-branded toolbar that offers more direct links to other security tools. It will also offer its antivirus and online firewall protections on Yahoo’s Online Protection for broadband users.
Symantec, the world’s largest security software service, already offers antivirus scanning for Yahoo e-mail users. The company also has a partnership deal with Google that makes it one of the Internet search provider’s preferred software vendors as part of its recommended PC setup.
Diversification or not, however, the importance of the anti-virus and internet security products to Symantec’s survival as a thriving growing business was demonstrated in May when it launched a lawsuit against Microsoft seeking an injunction against further development of Windows Vista.
Symantec alleges that parts of Vista were developed using misappropriated data storage technologies developed by Veritas.
Vista has its own built-in security and is inherently more secure than previous Windows versions because it is built around a Unix-like permissions system.
When – Microsoft customers eventually move to Vista both Symantec and McAfee holding onto their migrating customers.
Symantec and McAfee are exploiting their alliances in the internet space, and the increasing vulnerability of online users, for all their worth in an effort to hold Microsoft’s push into security at bay.
Users can download the suite from Yahoo’s Web site.