Three Giants: Microsoft, Norton and McAfee
In this age of the Internet and the vastly increasing use of information technology in our daily lives, the proliferation of computer viruses has put us on the verge of a new cyber-based pandemic. We are living constantly under the fear of computer viruses and other undesirable stuff. This heightens our insecurity, and we try different ways and means to combat this menace.
You are not alone in this. Giant software companies are also investing much of their resources to develop an effective solution. They know there is a huge potential market of people like you anxious for a good security shield. Many small companies are also trying their hands at producing antivirus products and, in fact, on many occasions these small players have become very handy.
However, there are three software giants waging war in the market of Internet security product. We all know that the antivirus software pioneers, Norton and McAfee, have produced very effective programs and have acquired huge market shares. Now the software giant, Microsoft, has entered the scene.
After many years of battling against viruses and worms, Microsoft conquered new frontiers others never ventured into before. Microsoft released its new operating system, Vista, in the early months of 2007. Microsoft has expanded beyond the confines of its traditional software business and decided to latch onto the Internet security product market with its new operating system.
Heavyweight players in the Internet security product market like Symantec, producer of the acclaimed Norton antivirus product, and McAfee, plus other assorted smaller players have played crucial roles in this important sector of information technology. Under pressure from these players, Microsoft has decided to allow its users to have the option of selecting other security providers beyond its own system. There is only one thing that Microsoft will not countenance and will consider a breach of its copyright: if the software of other companies will access its 'kernel', the very nodal points of its operating system.