Panda Security Insight

Just over a year ago, coinciding with the launch of the first Beta version of Panda Cloud Antivirus,  I wrote a post about the freemium business model. This launch had a major impact on the market, largely because, in addition to being the first cloud-based antivirus, Panda Security was a company with a traditional business model ‘daring’ to offer a free solution. 

Back then I explained the reasoning behind our ‘Free’ strategy.  And one year on, what was then just a theory, has become a reality, and our decision to go with this solution has helped us in many ways:

a)      Our brand recognition has increased considerably, thanks to the launch of a pioneering and revolutionary product which, in addition, is free.

b)      We have a large user community taking advantage of our product, who increasingly help to improve it and prescribe it to others.

c)       Thanks to this strategy, Collective Intelligence, our automatic system for detecting, scanning and disinfecting new malware, has benefited enormously. It now receives more knowledge from an enlarged user community, and this in turn has positive repercussions for the protection delivered to clients and users of other Panda solutions.

I also said at the time that such a model is only sustainable if there is a monetization strategy behind it, albeit one in which the return on investment is over a longer term. Now is the time to take the next step. We are now immersed in the launch of Panda Cloud Antivirus Pro, a pay version that will allow us to continue advancing our strategy of providing free security for all users who want it, as well as offering additional functionality for those who want to buy the Pro version.  

A year ago we were convinced that the sector would evolve in this direction. And now the data confirms this: Morgan Stanley has recently published a report indicating, on the basis of a study carried out in the United States, that 46% of home users use free security solutions (and an additional 13% intend to “switch to free” when their license expires in the coming months). 

IT security is evolving rapidly and this evolution will affect the entire sector.  At a time when it is more critical than ever to be protected against malware, it is paradoxical to see how this protection can now be obtained for free… this is good news for users and explains the success of solutions such as Panda Cloud Antivirus.

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