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At least for now, Microsoft's move into the antivirus market is "much ado about nothing," Symantec CEO and Chairman John Thompson said this week in an exclusive interview with CRN at the security vendor's Enterprise Partner Summit in Chicago.

"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," Thompson said.

Microsoft's plan to offer a fee-based antivirus solution after its acquisition last month of Romanian antivirus company GeCAD prompted some industry observers to question the future of antivirus vendors such as Symantec. But Thompson shook off any doubts, noting that security is more than antivirus software; it 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.

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

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.

The Plymouth, Minn.-based solution provider 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 of Symantec, outlined how the company 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 verify 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, flexible antispam capabilities and protection for Linux desktops, Clyde said. The company also plans to release a security solution for handhelds that can be managed in an enterprise environment the same way as desktop security.

Security at the server and application levels, including database security, will be a major development focus for Symantec, he said.

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

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

During a question-and-answer session after Seelinger's talk, a partner said Symantec's managed security account reps are compensated less if the channel is involved in the deal.

While most of Symantec's business goes through the channel, more of the managed security services have tended to be direct deals, Seelinger said. The company is working to address the compensation issue, she said.

"We're working hard to eradicate" issues, she said. "The comp issue is one we've talked about at length."

Afterward, Chris Ellerman, vice president of professional services at Meridian IT Solutions, Schaumburg, Ill., said he was interested in what kind of packaging Symantec decides to use. While the service is great, the pricing can be steep for small and midsize companies, he said.

Symantec's overall integrated security strategy is on the mark, said Gary Cannon, president of Advanced Internet Security, a solution provider in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Some customers still hesitate to take the integrated approach and stick with a best-of-breed strategy but down the road he expects to see more acceptance, he said.

"Certainly, the integrated approach to security is the way to go," Cannon said.

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Source: CRN