Panda to Update, Reposition TruPrevent Security Software - ' New Category' (
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Today, the product is sold as an add-on to traditional anti-virus products from Symantec Corp., McAfee Inc. and others. But with the new "genetic" scanning and buffer-overflow capabilities, Panda hopes to create a new category of malware-detection software called "Personal Intrusion Protection Systems," or PIPS. The company also plans on raising the retail price from $30 to about $50, to increase the perceived value of the product. The new versions rollout and repositioning will begin in about a month.
TruPrevent also will be rolled out into Pandas entire lineup, from the least expensive anti-virus product to the top-line enterprise server. It was the first breakthrough product to emerge from Panda Research, an R&D group that the company set up four years ago. "We put 15 to 20 percent of our revenue into research," said CEO Mikel Urizarbarrena, which works out to about $20 million for 2004.
The company also has completed its own firewall, designed to block exploits and attack, which replaces technology that had previously been licensed from Sygate Inc.
Panda Software says it sees the firewall as a core security component that the company needs to own. Will Panda build a full-on, application-level firewall as well? "Eventually, we will be going toward there," Bustamante said.
Panda also is readying a high-end product for the largest enterprises. Within a month, Panda and Crossbeam Systems Inc. will offer a version of the GateDefender appliance that can scan up to 8 gigabits per second of HTTP and SMTP traffic for viruses, spam and objectionable content.
For a review of Panda GateDefender 8050, click here.
And on the low end, Panda plans on partnering with a low-cost router manufacturer to release an integrated IPS and AV hardware box. These products will compete with other SMB (small and midsize business) products from Fortinet Inc., Sonicwall Inc. and Juniper Networks Inc.s NetScreen division.
To help it crack the enterprise market, the company plans on building a team of analysts and consultants that will perform corporate security audits, as a prelude to a widespread rollout of Pandas products. No decision has been made, however, as to whether that team will charge for its services, or if the cost will be built into the hardware and software.
Other plans include releasing software to protect PDAs and cell phones, along with securing Linux from malware. The company also plans to release a network security tool that encrypts all network traffic to protect from "WiPhishing," man-in-the-middle and other network-based attacks. "The biggest problems in the future will be with mobile devices and with Linux," CTO Hinojosa said.
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