Internet Security

[has]

Re question posted on 26/01/2008. If all this available on the 'net, why do these discs sell in the shops for around �50.00?

[rojash]

Because the world is full of suckers

[vehelpfulguy]

Software security companies make most of their money from selling their software to businesses, where they sell thousands of licenses to one customer.

I doubt they make a huge amount of money from individual users at �50 a go.

The companies who give versions away for free (like AVG or Zone Alarm) only give it away to home users, they still sell it to businesses.

I guess their rational for giving it away for free for home use is to get market presense and to get their name known.

Also, AVG for example only give their anti virus away for free, they also sell complete internet security packages to home users.

I guess it is easier to sell to home users once you have at least SOME of your software on their PC, than if you have none at all.

In retail terms it is called a loss leader, you give away something for free hoping it will lead to some sales later.

[vehelpfulguy]

continued....

As well as free security software there is also all sorts of other free software available if you know where to look.

For example millions of people pay out hundreds of pounds for a copy of Microsoft Office.

But Microsoft Office is so feature packed that they are paying all this money for a product where they will only use a small percentage of the features.

There are a few totally FREE office suites, such OpenOffice, which you can download from here:

http://www.openoffice.org/

It has a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation package (like powerpoint) and so on.

It probably has enough function for most home users, yet people still continue to pay out hundreds of pounds for Microsoft Office.