Symantec will not be releasing a new version of Norton Antivirus this fall, but instead will be streamlining its line of antivirus products by eliminated several titles with similar names.
Norton Security will be released on Sept. 23 and will replace Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security, Norton 360, Norton 360 Multi-Device, and Norton 360 Premier Edition.
The new move will be emulating Netflix by making Norton a subscription-based service rather than a one-time payment for the software.
"We're headed towards security as a service," said Gerry Egan, senior director of product management for Norton at Symantec.
While Norton is making moves toward being more consumer-friendly, it will still have to overcome its reputation as being somewhat confusing. To help build up a better reputation for the software, Norton will be offering a money-back guarantee.
"We will be offering virus-free guarantee," said Egan. "If at the end of the day we run into something we can't deal with, we'll give you your money back." The new software will go on sale on Sept. 23 and will cost $80 per year, combining all elements of the various malware prevention programs that Symantec currently offers.
The new product will not stop at computers, however. It can be used across a family's Windows and Mac computers, as well as their iOS and Android smartphones. Currently, Android users have a choice between paying $30 for an in-app purchase, or buying the larger subscription and logging in as a user.
"You might bounce throughout the day from a Mac to a mobile to a Windows machine," said Egan. "Instead of trying to figure out which Norton product they're using, we want to say to people that you sign up to Norton, it's as simple as that."
There will be a limit to the number of devices that Norton Security can be used on, however this limit has not yet been determined. According to Egan, the company will aim to prevent abuse of the software while remaining appropriate for most users.
Another part of the changes with the software includes Symantec pulling back on the "junkware" that comes preinstalled with Norton. According to Fran Rosch, executive vice president at Symantec, the placement of such software simply isn't worth the cost.
Symantec also announced that it was working on a touch-friendly Windows 8 app to better accommodate its core Windows audience.
Norton will also be offering a cloud-based backup service as an option to customers. Pricing of this extra feature has not yet been revealed, however Egan has said that it will be similar to what Norton currently offers, which is around $10 for 25 GB of storage.
