Symantec opts for the Web route

NEWS Symantec has this week unveiled plans to offer its anti-virus software over the Web to businesses and consumers. Joining the growing number of established software firms to offer specialised Internet sales models, the company says it will offer products via a network of portals, ISPs and application service providers. Aled Miles, UK MD of Symantec, told Silicon.com: "This is part of an extended strategy that is taking us down the Internet content security road. "Hosting applications or services that are accessible to the end user via the Internet is a market reality. The Internet is a driving force and we need to keep ahead of that change." But Miles insisted that selling software in shrink-wrapped boxes is not going to disappear: "We offer software that provides an ongoing service - which may require different payment methods. But the box business is incredibly important to us, it's not going to die away." The first two companies to sign up are ISP, Family Click, which will integrate Symantec's filtering software into its service, and ISP technology provider, Inktomi, which will use Symantec's technology in its network cache platform.