Anti-Virus Software

Has the Love Bug bitten you yet? We mean the virus that

wreaked havoc on systems the world over. If you have the love bug problem, then

download fixlove.exe from Symantec’s Website. If it’s to do with Life, then

get fixlife.exe. They seem to have fixes to everything! Perhaps it’s this

proactive approach to "fixing everything.exe" that has made Norton

AntiVirus the winner this year. In any case, the brand has retained its position

for the second consecutive year.

The runner’s up seat this year has been occupied by McAfee.

It has exchanged seats with Dr Solomon anti-virus, which is in the third

position this year. However, unlike last year the winner is ahead by a wide

margin this time.

Though viruses have been around for a very long time, they

haven’t been such a widespread threat as this year. That’s why anti-virus

software have geared themselves, from being mere client-cleaning utilities to

enterprise-wide solutions. They are now guarding all possible entry points for

viruses, which may be through a Web browser, e-mail, or over the network.

Norton had the highest installed base among the respondents

of this survey, followed by McAfee and Dr Solomon. Quality has been the prime

criterion on choosing an anti-virus software. With viruses crawling out of the

woodwork, quality of the anti-virus should be good enough not only to plug all

holes, but also be on alert in case of a leakage.

Norton enjoys maximum support as the preferred brand in the

South, both in corporate as well as the household segments. The Northeast has

given lukewarm response to it, and it needs to pay special attention in the

West, due to low support from the corporate segment. The support from the

northern households is also low.

Competition is fierce as ever in this segment, as there are tons of

anti-virus software available. Will McAfee regain the number one position that

it lost in 1998, or will someone else emerge victorious? We’ll get a

"fix" for this next year.