From Symantec to Trend Micro and a little ForeFront Client Security

We are moving away from Symantec.

In one case, we have a relatively new install at a long time client who moved offices and needed a fresh start.

It is now almost 18 months later, and we have finally worked out getting the Symantec licensing .slf file problems worked out ... almost. The management console keeps telling us that certain clients are in license violation mode and won't update the client's definition files when this happens. And there are seemingly no good answers forthcoming from Symantec ... even with the Gold Support.

*sigh* and a deep breath.

So, we are going to try out the Trend Micro NeatSuite with a new client.

Trend's name passes through the RSS reader every once in a while. Sometimes good, and sometimes bad, but from what we can tell, a number of leading SBSers out there rely on it for protection.

What this means is a heavy investment of time to learn a new product. Hopefully the Trend setup will be fairly straight forward.

By the way, we did look into ForeFront Client Security as a possible option, but the management console requires a full version of SQL2005 server installed. SQL 2005 Workgroup on SBS 2K3 R2 Premium does not cut it. Even on the Open Value Licensing scheme it was too expensive for SMB to include SQL. While we can install the workstation client in a "not managed" mode, this does not strike us as the right direction to go in a server/client environment.

So, a new product adventure begins! :D

And, in the case of our existing clients, once their Symantec licensing lapses we will move them over to Trend.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

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