Symantec is making a major push to get its security
products into more mobile phones.
"The growing levels of adoption of mobile devices mean that we
need to protect these with the level of capability that you see in
the desktop world," said John Thompson, Symantec's chairman and
chief executive officer.
The company has announced availability of its Symantec Client
Security software for the Nokia 9500 Communicator and the 9300
smartphone model, which use the Symbian operating system.
In Japan, where third-generation (3G) services are already
widespread, the company is now talking to carriers and handset
makers to offer them as yet undisclosed Symantec products, Thompson
said.
The software for the Nokia handsets provides anti-virus and
firewall software that is preloaded in the phones' memory cards,
and can be updated wirelessly, Symantec said.
"Small form factor devices as well as PCs need to be protected,
and so will 3G phones," said Robert Clyde, Symantec's
vice-president and chief technology officer.
NTT DoCoMo, Japan's biggest carrier, is investing heavily in
Symbian OS. In December 2003, the operator announced that it was
giving ¥37bn (£190m) to Fujitsu, Mitsubishi Electric, Motorola
Japan, NEC, Panasonic Mobile Communications and Sharp to develop
mobile phones with the operating system.
Paul Kallender writes for IDG News Service