Symantec Stock Surges on Microsoft Takeover Rumors
Symantec Stock Surges on Microsoft Takeover Rumors
Posted 09/09/2010 at 8:02am
| by Paul Lilly
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We don't know what it is with the sudden interest in acquiring security firms, but perhaps the AV industry is destined to follow the same consolidation and takeover path that the boutique PC business underwent not that long ago.
Let's recap. Intel in August purchased McAfee for $7.68 billion, a deal that stockholders from both sides were stoked about. And just a short while ago we reported that Trend Micro is at least listening to buyout offers, even if no one can afford the company. Now there's rumors that Symantec may be on the takeover table as well.
It all started when Jeffries & Co. analyst Katherine Egbert wrote in a report that Symantec could be worth $19-$20 a share to a buyer, though she added that a deal for the company isn't likely to happen. From there things start to get a little fuzzy, and now the rumor mill is somehow swirling with speculation that Microsoft might be interested in buying out Symantec. Several stock rumor sites are discussing the possibility, and that in turn has caused Symantec's stock to surge 6 percent.
Like Egbert, we view this as unlikely, though Microsoft certainly has the capital to pull something like this off. It's also worth pointing out the major shift into the mobile market thanks to the smartphone boom and emerging tablet craze, two areas that might benefit from specialized AV software.
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dffeitlstp
September 11, 2010 at 6:12am
As a Comcast subscriber for ISP, for years we had MacAfee Security Suite, and I did not complain because I never had the system seize up during a scan. Recently Comcast dumped MacAfee for Symantec (Norton). Instead of going with the system seizing Symantec suite, I instead went with Microsoft System Essentials for AV and have been pleased with it, even though it might not have all the bells and whistles.
Microsoft, don't buy Symantec and push it as one of your products! After being an early adopter for Vista and seeing what it did to system resources, you should know better.
Windows 7 good, Symantec AV bad.
Lhot
September 10, 2010 at 5:22pm
...best AV's out there...actually click the link in this MaxPC article and see all the AV's that are affected by the AV eating "worm" that's making the rounds.... http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/mcafee_new_worm_eats_your_av_software ....and you will notice Norton and ESET are just about the only two AV's NOT on the list of affected AV's.
The ONLY AV's I will ever run on ANY computer are Norton or ESET....at current count....not one virus, one spec of malware, one trojan etc.....have managed to cripple or get past Symantec Corporate AV 10.0.1.9000 on any of my comps in 7-8 years now.
Sure Norton used to come with a double helping of bloat but that has all changed. I use Symantec Corp AV, ZA free firewall, and SuperAntiSpyware...and it's been so long since I even got a "infection has been quaratined message", that if I ever do get infected, I'll probably not remember how to get un-infected :)
JohnP
September 09, 2010 at 8:12pm
Well, at least it would make Symantec go away and stop all of their "reports" that 220% of all the computers in the world are loaded with "very bad things"!
machew100
September 09, 2010 at 10:57am
Sick of other companies taking over other companies constantly, especially big ones like Intel purchasing everything ever, and holding all the responsiblity for chipsets in their hands. I feel this sense of impending doom that the world will become a small group of monopoly companies, and no one will be able to take them on ever, and they'll screw us. Or maybe that already happens..? :p
someuid
September 09, 2010 at 11:57am
The bigger they get, the slower they move, and it is just a matter of time before someone comes up with a new idea and quickly implements it. It is a tried and true fact of the computer world and will always happen. So don't despare.
Eoraptor
September 09, 2010 at 8:16am
Intel bought MacAffee because they want to introduce AV at the chipset level, the same way Nvidia tried with firewalls years ago. It's a good idea, if tough to pull off.
This... this is just rumor mongering from wall street so some schmucks can make some money on day trading... Especially since everyone seems to forget Microsoft already has its own AV solution, and its not an area they seem particularly interested in competing in, considering the dogs that OneCare was, and Security Essentials is.
Athlonite
September 10, 2010 at 3:25am
ahhhh wut MSE is quite a good AV solution if you look at what AV comparatives says about it I will however admit Onecare was shit so for that matter are snortons and mcstuffies and pretend micro
Hamburger
September 09, 2010 at 8:10am
From one bloatware company to another. ESET makes a better AV product.
big_montana
September 09, 2010 at 9:51am
Symantec still makes a good product, from their Internet Security Suite to 360. Anyway, you are not looking at the big picture, enterprise market share. How big of a sahre does ESET have in teh enterpise, mmmmmmmm 0%? While Symantec holds roughly a 65% market share. That alone is a compelling enough reason for any company to want to purcahse them. Also, Symantec provides the number one selling enterprise imaging software in Altiris
someuid
September 09, 2010 at 11:56am
Seriously, why does market share matter? We don't need our AV product to work with other products like we do with Office. Small guys can charge less because they don't have so many layers of upper management that need to be paid big salaries and share options, let alone investors. Smaller companies can move faster to new threats and ideas in software.
Big companies are always looking for ways to increase their market share and bottom line and will do so at your expense. I bet someone in Hollywood is going to take notice and try to do a side deal with someone like McAfee or Symmantec to integrate anti-pirating software into their product. Money talks. Big companies will go with it. The small guys would tell Hollywood to go pound sand.
Market share = bloat. While there are some companies who've learned their lesson (I would say IBM) there are a lot that take their size and throw it around the market, crushing competition, stifling new ideas, and charging out the arse for their products.
Eoraptor
September 09, 2010 at 2:20pm
On so many points.
Market share ≠ bloat, bad design = bloat, and that's available from companies both big and small.
And we darned sure DO need antivirus that cooperates with other software. Do you really want to go back to the world of the late nineties and early oughts where your browser, office suite, instant messenger, and AV rarely talked to one another and you didn't know if you had downloaded a virus until it infected you?
Yes, it is true smaller companies are more able to inovate and more quickly respond than larger ones, but don't cast size an market share about as though it is the end all be all of software design. Windows 7 is one of the best operating systems going and it comes from aruably the largest non-comoditiy company on the planet.
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