More from Symantec CEO (from: seattlepi.com Microsoft Blog)
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/004346.html?wbfrom=rss
Symantec Chief Executive John Thompson was blunt when discussing Microsoft during his keynote address at the RSA Conference yesterday morning, but that was just the start. Later in the day, during a Q&A session with reporters, he was asked repeatedly about Microsoft’s move into the security-software market. A few excerpts from his responses:
On the news that Microsoft will come out with consumer anti-virus protection this year: “Actually it’s now later than we thought, so it shows you how difficult this challenge is. So the fact that they’re going to have something late in the year as opposed to midyear as we had originally forecasted suggests that this is not a problem that’s easily solved.”
On whether Microsoft’s move played a role in Symantec’s decision to acquire Veritas: “We had been on a path as a company to be a bigger player in the enterprise security space for a long time, in the enterprise software space for a long time. And so I could care less about what Microsoft does. I’m more focused on what our customers’ needs are and how we can do a better job of serving them.”
On whether Symantec would raise antitrust objections over Microsoft’s decision to offer free anti-spyware protection to Windows users: “I’d rather fight Microsoft in the marketplace because we’re convinced we can whup ‘em. So this is not about showing up in Washington or whining on someone’s doorstep about what Microsoft can or might do. To the extent that they violate the position of prominence that they have, be assured that we’ll be watching, but whining in Washington about press releases or pointing to left field by Bill and his team, I mean, of what value is that?”
For more, you can access a webcast and transcript of the session from this page.