Think Symantec could consider making a free version based on Norton Antivirus 2011 (for home and personal use only)? To help differ between the two, NAV could be renamed NAV Pro 2011 (Norton Antivirus Pro 2011).
Product name and feature suggestions:
Norton Antivirus 2011/Norton Antivirus Free Edition 2011
Features:
- Protects your PC against the latest viruses, spyware, and other threats.
- Delivers fast, powerful online protection to keep you a step ahead of cyber attacks.
- Scans email attachments for malware and potentially unwanted programs.
- Updates automatically, offers easy-to-use features
- Watch movies and play games without interruptions.
- Optimized for netbook users looking for basic protection.
- Free 24x7 online forum support
Key Technologies/Benefits:
- Antivirus
- Antispyware
- Antirootkit
- Pulse Updates*
- Bot Protection
- Worm Protection
- Rootkit Protection
- Network Monitoring
- Exploit Protection
- Norton Safe Web
- Norton Insight
- Norton Download Insight
- Norton Ongoing Protection
- Norton Reputation Service
- Vulnerability Protection*
- Smart Scheduler
- Power Saver Settings
Feature Limitations:
- Updates definitions ONLY every 30 minutes/or once every hour (compared to the paid versions which update every 5-15 minutes, so it receives less definition updates.)
- Does NOT scan email and IMs (ONLY email attachments)
- Lists and protects against ONLY vulnerabilities in Adobe, Java, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Chrome.
Why choose Norton Antivirus Free Edition over other free AV competitors?
- No nagging screens or ad banners. Only a simple "Upgrade" button in the main UI giving free users the option to upgrade.
- No license or serial key. Simply download the product and activate the free 1-year subscription by entering your name (just your first) and email address. A 30-day trial period is given if the user chooses not to subscribe right-away. At the end of the subscription, the user will need to re-subscribe to use it for another year.
Features NOT Included (Compared to Norton Antivirus 2011/Norton Antivirus Pro 2011):
- Scheduled Scanning
- Network Mapping
- SONAR 3 Behavior Protection
- Proactive Performance Alerts
- Norton System Insight
- Norton File Insight
- Monthly Report
- Norton Control Center
- Parental Controls Management
- Backup and Restore
- Identity Protection
- PC Tuneup
- Free 24x7 phone support for the full term of your subscription or supported license.
- Free 24x7 email or chat support for the full term of your subscription or supported license.
- Norton Bootable Recovery Tool.
As long as the paid versions are better than the free edition (such as keeping SONAR unavailable to free users) and offering the paid versions at a reasonable price, customers will continue to buy the paid versions of your products. Symantec could limit the free version to only North America (and maybe Europe; or just in the US & Canada) if they choose not to instantly make it available worldwide.