Symantec aims to beat Microsoft

The gauntlet has now been thrown down in the security wars: Symantec has stated that clearly and definitively, it will be better than Microsoft's new security suite.

At Symantec's annual Vision conference, CEO John Thompson delivered a blistering keynote discussing their upcoming rival in Redmond. Microsoft's announcement to step into the security ring with dedicated Windows software has been met with mixed reviews encompassing a variety of opinions, from the enthusiastic "About time!" to the more conspiracy-leaning, "So now they'll build in the security holes so they can sell more software." Microsoft are calling their consumer suite Windows Live OneCare, due out in June of this year - but Symantec promises that you won't care.

Thompson stated, "Our strategy is to out-innovate Microsoft." The keynote continued along the same vein, with some great quotes like, "Symantec is synonymous with security. Microsoft is synonymous with a lot of things, but security is not one of them."

Of course, this is not the first time that Symantec has dogged Microsoft's move into their market, calling them 'johnny-come-lately' in the field of security.

But Thompson's best zinger of the day: "We know more about security than they ever will." You know, it's hard not to believe that.

All Microsoft bashing aside, the security wars are starting to really heat up as MS approaches their June deadline for Joe Consumer. It will be interesting to see if this really does develop better products, or is all a bunch of hot air.

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