CHENNAI: Software security solutions are only as good as the last update, John W. Thompson, U.S. based Chairman and Chief Executive of Symantec, said here.

The Net's baddies were getting cleverer — and more diabolical — everyday and a security solution, bought off the shelf and replaced once a year, might no longer be adequate to protect one's data and precious PC holdings.

Which was why Symantec had just taken the radical step of subtly turning its offerings for the mass consumer and small business customer into `Norton 360,' a more nimble product that married instant online response with a Web-based backup facility, Mr. Thompson said. He was talking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the inauguration of the company's second India-based innovation centre here on Monday.

This was not quite `Software as a Service' but clearly the shape of things to come, Mr. Thompson said, adding that, "We have to make software more invisible.'' And seeing the explosive growth in mobile phones, Symantec was all set to sharply expand its security offerings for phone users: the new Mobile Security Suite 5.0, being launched globally this week, would aim at PC-type security for the cellular space, he said. Symantec's upcoming `Software as a Service' initiatives would be fuelled to a considerable degree by the cutting edge work being done at its India based development centres, Mr. Thompson said. "Our Web server and data base server offerings have significant contributions from our Pune team,'' he said.

And what's on the plate for the new Chennai centre? Possibly more forward looking work in theoretical areas and algorithms.

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