Symantec Sees No Imminent Threat From Microsoft

"Until they have an offering in the marketplace, until we know what it is targeted toward, we're not going to run around doing high-speed hand-wringing at Symantec," he said in an exclusive interview with CRN last week at the security vendor's Enterprise Partner Summit in Chicago.

Microsoft's plan to offer a fee-based antivirus solution, following its acquisition last month of Bucharest, Romania-based antivirus company GeCAD, prompted some industry observers to question the future of antivirus vendors such as Symantec, Cupertino, Calif. But Thompson shook off any doubts, noting that security is more than antivirus and requires an integrated set of technologies at each tier of a customer's network.

"The fact Microsoft now has antivirus is interesting, but until they do something with it in a way that allows it to truly solve the threat problems of today it is nothing more than a hollow promise to the marketplace," he said.

At a conference dinner with partners, Thompson said the strength of Symantec's brand in the enterprise is strong enough to withstand Microsoft's antivirus intentions, but cautioned the company needs to be aware of the software giant's plans in the consumer/low-end market.

More than 100 partners attended the summit.

Several were quick to discount any antivirus threat from Microsoft, noting the security flaws in its products.

"Most of our customers don't see Microsoft as a legitimate offering in the security space," said Greg Baufield, manager of the emerging technologies group at Nexus Information Systems, a solution provider based in Plymouth, Minn.

He said his firm chose to partner with Symantec because it shares the vendor's view of the future of the security market,one that is ripe for consolidation. "We chose Symantec for its vision," Baufield said.

At the conference, Thompson and other Symantec executives emphasized the company's integrated strategy, which aims to simplify security and protect enterprises from a growing number of threats. Rob Clyde, vice president and CTO, outlined how Symantec will build on that strategy with a number of enhancements to its products this year.

For example, plans for Client Security include adding client-compliancy checking that will determine whether a user's system complies with current security policies before allowing it to remotely connect to the network. In its enterprise antivirus software, Symantec plans to add behavior blocking and flexible antispam capabilities, Clyde said.

In a presentation on Symantec's channel efforts, Allyson Seelinger, Symantec vice president, North American channels, said the company has launched an Opportunity Management Pilot program, which allows Symantec to collaborate with partners on leads by giving them access to Symantec's internal CRM system.

Symantec also is looking at ways to package its managed security services to make them easier to resell, she said.

One partner brought up the fact that Symantec's managed security account reps are compensated less if the channel is involved in the deal. Seelinger replied that Symantec is working to address the compensation issue.