Antivirus Software Market: Battle between Domestic and Foreign Products

 

Although antivirus software sales are not as big as other areas, like operating systems or hardware, Vietnam has quickly become a favourite destination of many antivirus software producers since mid 2009, such as Kaspersky, Symantec and BitDefender. In early 2010, new brands came to Vietnam, including Panda Security, PC Tools and Avira. With the presence of world-acclaimed brands, antivirus software competition on the Vietnamese marketplace is escalating. Apart from the two long-standing options, Bkis (BkavPro 2009) and Kaspersky (Kaspersky 2010), two new big names Symantec Corp. (USA) and McAfee Inc. are stirring up the market. While Symantec Corp. is conquering the Vietnamese market with its renowned user-friendly Norton Antivirus 2010 through its distributor FPT Corp, the largest software maker in Vietnam, McAfee has quietly entered Vietnam through its distributor Mi2 and mainly sells corporate security packages for businesses. Following suit, Grisoft (Czech Republic) has penetrated the Vietnamese market with the popular AVG Antivirus (Czech Republic) through its distributor Tri Thuc Software.

 

Bitdefender Antivirus software from Romania officially made debut in Vietnam in October 2005 through its distributor VIAMI. Although this software is very popular in 100 countries in Europe and the Americas, most Vietnamese computer users do not see it as their choice.

 

In mid-2010, Panda Security (Spain) officially made a presence in Vietnam after 20 years of operation, with offices in more than 195 countries. Panda has launched personal antivirus software through its official representative in Indochina, Panda Security Company. Avira Company (Germany) is the newest such foreign company to enter Vietnam, after it named Red Umbrella Services Company as it distributor in September 2010.

Without the vast operations of Symantec, Kaspersky, McAfee or BitDefender, Trend Micro and PC Tools also established distribution channels in Vietnam and are gradually catching the fancy of consumers.

 

To compete with foreign brands, Vietnamese antivirus software brands are striving to strengthen their Vietnamese market positions and compete with foreign goods. Three well-known antivirus software products of Vietnam, Bkav, D32 and CMC Antivirus, have gradually strengthened their market footings. For Bkav, after long providing free antivirus software for users of DOS and Windows, BKIS Network Security Centre (Hanoi National University) started selling commercial versions in 2005 to personal and corporate users. But, it still offers free BkavHome Antivirus. In October 2008, CMC formally sold antivirus software called CMC Antivirus. As an IT solutions distributor and supplier, CMC Antivirus is expanding its foothold on the home market.

 

Commenting on the rivalry with foreign brands, both BKIS (Bkav) General Director Nguyen Tu Quang and CMC InfoSec Director Trieu Tran Duc affirmed that no software is perfect or brings in highest effects, but each has its own strong and weak features. Domestic antivirus software can evenly compete with foreign brands in technology and price. However, foreign antivirus brands are superior in updating new virus patterns and threats worldwide.

 

Mr Nguyen Tien Huy, Director of IT Department at Mobifone, a leading mobile service network in Vietnam, said: The strongest point of domestic antivirus software is to kill domestic viruses which are sometimes immune to renowned foreign software brands like Norton or Trend Micro. This is an advantage of domestic products like BKAV or CMC.

 

As an advisor of network information security and safety to businesses and personal users, Vo Do Thang, Director of Athana Network Administration & Security Training Centre, said: There are not many domestic antivirus software products in Vietnam and they do not always work effectively; thus, they have not gained the full trust of users or security consultants. Home users can choose simple antivirus software with fewer features, but corporate clients require powerful antivirus software to protect their computer systems from outside attacks or need a total information security solution. With this approach, security consultants normally recommend their customers use foreign antivirus products.

 

A survey on corporate ICT application in 63 provinces and cities nationwide, released in mid-2010 by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), showed that Bkav antivirus was most favoured by corporate users with 74 percent, Kaspersky was the runner up with 13 percent and Norton Antivirus ranked third with 9 percent. From the overall picture of the Vietnamese antivirus software market, CMC and BKAV are struggling to confront the expansion of big foreign names on the home market. Although they are sparing no effort to develop outstanding antivirus software, domestic companies are, to a certain extent, inferior to foreign names, even in the number of software producers.