Symantec Rates the Competition

"The most challenging issue is the emerging competitive threat from well-capitalized companies [making moves in our market]," a tireless Thompson told VARBusiness. "We need to out-innovate and out-execute these slower players."

But if Thompson is concerned about any possible interlopers, he doesn't show it. "We're just better. We deliver a better product," he says. "We have a more consistent relationship with our partners. Financially, we're more sound than our competitors."

OK, but who exactly are these gate-crashers of the gatekeeping market? Symantec president and COO John Schwarz laid it all out for our readers in a sit-down the following day.

"When you get to the larger players, it's Cisco, IBM and Microsoft. In that order," he said during an interview. "They have expressed to varying degrees an increasingly aggressive [desire] to compete in the market. They're also capitalized and have brand recognition." Symantec, worried? Nah. "We think we are faster, nimbler," Schwarz said.

"Potentially, [IBM is] the best in the large marketplace," Schwarz allowed. "Given [its] future direction, IBM is the most natural partner for us to go to market with."

As for its traditional competitors, "Network Associates is not as broad as we are," Schwarz said. "Not as international. Not as multiplatform. Check Point has not responded to the blended-threat program. And ISS, who is very similar to Check Point, is very focused on intruder protection."

Of the many smaller companies--the "hundreds of vertical competitors funded by VCs," as Schwarz put it--none concerns Symantec. "Yes, there are many niche players, but nobody can deliver the end-to-end like we can."

That brings up the subject of acquisitions. There are more sellers than customers, Thompson said. The spurt in security vendors in the recent past is understandable, he said, reflecting heightened concerns.

Without giving away his hand, Schwarz acknowledged that, yes, Symantec is well aware of the fertile buy/sell security market this year, and that there might be a role for his company in that acquisitive arena.

"There's already been a significant amount of consolidation in 2003--like IntruVert Networks--taking place at the low end of the market," he said. "It's fundamentally true that customers are looking to reduce their number of suppliers. As that happens, naturally the smaller firms will look to combine with larger firms to exist in the marketplace."

Certainly, the solution providers attending this two-day session were high on Symantec and its business strategies.

"Symantec is classy," said Mark Shneour, general manager of software for Cornerstone Systems, a Valencia, Calif.-based VAR. "People feel Symantec is sincere in working with the channel. Its program is one of the best."