[photopress:symantec.jpg,full,alignright]Chinese search engine Baidu.com Inc has teamed up with Symantec to help the international Internet security giant market its antivirus software. It needs some help because its products have far, far less market share in China than in other countries.
The strategic partnership will put Symantec products on China’s most popular search engine.
The Symantec software will be integrated into Baidu’s antivirus channel, where users can place orders for the Norton Antivirus series.
Baidu launched its online antivirus service in November last year amid the company’s efforts to complete its business portfolio and make money from individual consumers, rather than rely heavily on corporate payments for advertising services.
The effort began in 2005 when Baidu began offering a movie page that provides both free and paid contents targeting individual web users.
Three overseas antivirus software companies including McAfee and domestic firms such as Kingsoft Corp have signed contracts with Baidu to provide free virus analysis, downloads of test programs and other services.
The antivirus product market grew 5.9% to RMB285 million in the third quarter last year and was highly competitive. According to Analysys International, a Beijing-based research firm, Beijing Rising Antivirus Software led with a 22% share. Symantec held a 15% share and Trend Micros Enterprise China 13%. So if this deal with Baidu will just push Symantec seven percentage points up the ladder it will be the leader, which is the position to which it is accustomed.
Source: TDC Trade
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