Time Warner’s Internet unit hopes its security package will boost its appeal to customers and prospects.
AOL is preparing to enter the security fray with a new software bundle that it plans to market to the general public, not just its subscribers, News.com has learned.
The security software market is about to get even more crowded. Time Warner’s AOL plans to take the plunge with a product package, dubbed "Total Care," is expected to be available to software testers in the coming weeks, a source familiar with AOL’s plans said. The product will include security and PC care features, matching Microsoft’s recently launched Windows Live OneCare product and upcoming products from Symantec and McAfee, the source said.
There is already loads of reliable security software on offer and a formidable competitor, Microsoft, just joined the fray. Still, many consumers have yet to avail themselves of much of what is out there. A December survey by the National Cyber Security Alliance found that 81% of personal computers lacked at least one of antivirus software, spyware protection, or a firewall.
With OneCare, Microsoft says it has created an all-in-one PC care product. OneCare adds PC maintenance tools and backup features to the security basics–a firewall, and antivirus and anti-spyware applications. In the wake of the OneCare announcement, all major security companies have said they would release similar products.
Security AOL Style
Total Care marks one of AOL’s first steps in the security space, outside of tools it offers exclusively to the millions of subscribers to its Internet service. The Dulles, Va.-based Company is also quietly running a test of a security tool–the Active Security Monitor–that screens the security status of a computer and offers guidance on improving protection.
As with Microsoft’s Windows Live OneCare, released last week, and upcoming products from McAfee and Symantec, AOL’s Total Care will feature traditional PC security tools, such as virus and spyware protection, along with computer tune-up applications.
And while the tech-savvy may be hip to the latest threats, the general public apparently is not. A study released in May from the alliance revealed 61 percent of respondents could not identify a legitimate e-mail, even though 87 percent said they were able to recognize the so-called phishing scams whereby cybercrooks try to nab sensitive personal information through fraudulent e-mails.
Rather than develop the Total Care application by itself, AOL has partnered with an as-of-yet unnamed third party for help. McAfee is providing technology for at least one component of the suite.
Jonathan Singer, a Yankee Group analyst said that with an estimated 81 percent of PC users surfing the Web without any sort of the recommended precautions, there is no such thing as too many vendors hawking security solutions.
Outside the Fold
AOL is betting that Total Care will at least give its own members a convenient source for computer protection. The product will not replace AOL’s current Safety and Security Center, but will be a supplement to it, said a source familiar with the company’s plans. Presumably, the service would not be free, but any fee could be conveniently tied to a monthly bill.
AOL also is developing an application, called Active Security Monitor, that will scan computers on a home network for firewalls, virus protection, Windows updates, and wireless security, and will offer guidance on improving protection.
While not exactly a completely new move for AOL, which has been offering its subscribers the AOL Safety and Security Center for a few years, Total Care and Active Security Monitor are the first products the Internet service provider will make widely available to those outside the AOL fold.
And AOL will partner with some of the existing heavy hitters. One is McAfee, says McAfee President Kevin Weiss. "We will be a part of it," he says. The offering will clearly have McAfee content, some they have created themselves and some from others. The current AOL software integrates services from McAfee into its Safety and Security Center. Weiss says Total Care would use components from McAfee and other security providers, though it would not be a repackaging of his company’s planned all-in-one security product, code-named "Falcon."
Goosing Sales
AOL is also looking for additional revenue streams to compensate for their loss in dial-up customers, said Singer. The company continues to lose dial-up subscribers — 858,000 in the first quarter alone — and it is racing to lure customers with premium services, such as those delivered over broadband connections. "They are hoping that loyal customers who trust AOL and have liked their parental controls in the past will be amenable to buying a security suite from them."
The company has not yet said how much Total Care will cost, but AOL could generate sales with a subscription-based, all-in-one security package. That could be more appealing to customers than lower-priced or even free components that can be a hassle to set up and update.
Although the glut of security suites might temporarily cause a bit of confusion among less tech-savvy consumers, the release of several major security bundles might serve as a wake-up call to unprotected users said Singer.
As convenient as the security package may be, AOL will need to hold its own against some well regarded, established players — not to mention recent entrants. For many, there is little reason to turn to an Internet service provider like AOL instead of a dedicated software-security company. "If you are not an AOL subscriber, they are not going to be your first choice for security," says the Yankee Group’s Andrew Jaquith. Symantec dominates the market with a 75.4 percent share, and McAfee is a distant second with 12 percent.
The market for consumer PC security software continues to grow, reaching $1.95 billion last year, up 17 percent year-on-year, according to Gartner. For this year, Gartner expects a lower growth rate, said Arabella Hallawell, a Gartner analyst.