McAfee, Symantec Prepare for Next Battle

The competition between security software rivals McAfee(MFE Quote) and Symantec(SYMC Quote) is about to heat up with the two companies readying their assaults on business customers.

On Monday, McAfee released a new version of its popular ePolicy Orchestrator software, which offers a centralized management console to IT managers. The company calls the offering its most significant update in terms of size and investment.

"ePO is the backbone of our security and risk management strategies for businesses," says Christopher Bolin, chief technology officer of McAfee.

Meanwhile, Symantec plans to launch its competing product, Symantec Endpoint Protection, later this month, setting the stage for a new round of price discounts and incentives to get customers on board.

So far, Santa Clara, Calif.-based McAfee is seen as leading the battle. ePolicy Orchestrator has been regarded as McAfee's secret sauce, letting companies centrally manage security and compliance products from multiple vendors, which simplifies IT management and leads to greater cost savings.

"Customers are demanding unified, easier-to-update and easier-to-manage products from companies," says Nick Selby, a senior analyst with independent research firm 451 Group.

McAfee's ePO product is used by more than 30,000 customers with three out of four Fortune 2000 companies using a version of EPO, says Christopher Bolin, chief technology officer for McAfee.

"We are building on a lot of momentum," he says.