While technology vendors and security analysts continue to endorse the notion that anti-virus software is increasingly becoming commoditized, sales of the IT systems defense tools will help drive $9.1 billion in security applications sales during 2007, according to researchers at Gartner.
The Stamford, Conn.-based analysis firm released its annual security software market growth estimates on Feb. 1, projecting the 10.7 percent gain in sales for the year, compared to the $8.2 billion in security applications sold during calendar 2006.
Gartner contends that a commanding $4.9 billion, or 53.8 percent, of all security applications sold during 2007 will be anti-virus products—made by companies such as Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, Sophos, Kaspersky, Panda, Microsoft and CA.
However, the research firm reported that traditional, signature-based anti-virus technologies will continue to be augmented with more pro-active defense applications—such as IPS (intrusion prevention systems), behavior-monitoring tools and NAC (network access control) software.
While signature-based anti-virus technologies take a more passive approach, relying on researchers and software providers to discover and patch malware exploits and software vulnerabilities, the more cutting-edge tools claim the ability to more actively defend against emerging attacks, such as so-called zero-day exploits. Most vendors of traditional anti-virus programs are aggressively launching behavior-based products, along with IPS and NAC technologies.
Read the full story on eWEEK.com: Gartner Predicts $9.1 Billion Security Apps Market.
Business Intelligence 
