Likelihood to Recommend NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec)
It is good for organizations that need an AV solution that does really well in AV detection/performance tests, and also has a good track record for using little system resources on the client machine. It is less suited for organizations that want an AV product that is historically used by the industry or is known as an industry standard (e.g. Microsoft products, etc).
Read full review It just works. I have seen multiple viruses and malware get past other antivirus software like TrendMicro, Webroot, and Kaspersky. Bitdefender GravityZone always catches what others miss. It has a very light footprint when it comes to system resources. The centralized management console is nice, but I prefer the console before they redesigned the UI.
Read full review Pros NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec)
It detects adware (sometimes you just need some ease of advertisement) and phishing. It has Webguard, that allows us to block access to malicious websites. It scans email (POP3 and SMTP), an everyday tool I personally use. It has Bootable RescueCD, wich helps to remove malware and system recoveries. It has a very high detection rate and a very fast scanning engine. Read full review Once installed, Bitdefender [GravityZone] runs silently in the background with little to no need for user interaction. The cloud-based console provides for easy computer management and deployment. Bitdefender [GravityZone] is extremely flexible, with a policy-based system wherein different profiles can be created (i.e. a policy to deactivate the firewall, a policy to allow for admin control on a machine, etc.) and pushed out to individual computers. Computers can be grouped into different categories, with different policies automatically deployed to each category. Bitdefender [GravityZone] is relatively resource-light and runs well even on lower-end computers. Read full review Cons NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec)
For the use that I currently give to my laptop it works very well, but it can fail if your way of surfing the web is careful and you dedicate yourself to visit infected forums, download files from any part, or use bad programs. Read full review Who do I ask? This is my chief complaint is once the initial licenses were purchased through Bit Defender, there was no one to contact that could help navigate some of the initial questions I had with regard to specific policies to implement for our file server. The parent web site is, well, hard to navigate when one is trying to "learn" the system. The second issue is in increasing the licenses. It took several days for the parent company (by contact and phone) to inform me that they could not increase the licenses and I would have to go through a private vendor. There was no intent to connect me to a vendor or provide a vendor list until I asked specifically. YET I continue to get email from the parent company reminding me to pay an annual fee for the licenses purchase through the private vendor. The parent company can see the number of licenses yet did not sell them to me. Gravity Zone Dashboard, while excellent for those who have experience, is not particularly intuitive for those who have never used it. There does not seem to be a lot of documentation for those responsible for implementation. Read full review Likelihood to Renew NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec)
It works. I rely heavily on my vendors to provide a product that works, is easy to implement, and that they support. As well as be a decent value for the money
Read full review Usability NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec)
The console is easy to use, but has grown to have a lot of functionality. The only challenge is that all functions (even disabled and not installed ones) are shown. It would be great if only the functions that are active would be visible.
Read full review Support Rating NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec)
Since the product runs really well overall, and I haven't really run into any major issues, I have not had a need to contact the vendor directly for support. I have perused the vendor's site for other support channels, and they do have a number of good support options, such as submitting a request, KB articles, and Community forums. One support option that does not seem to be available (or might be really hard to find) is a direct line to call for phone support. As an individual or business member you can submit a request via a web form, which then will be sent to the tech support team, at which point they will call you.
Read full review Support is an area Bitdefender has always struggled with. While their products work great, the GravityZone dashboard is very technical in nature. If you aren't IT inclined, it could be difficult to setup. While most times support is helpful, we tend to work with them over email because of their very thick accent, they are hard to understand over the phone.
Read full review Alternatives Considered NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec)
F-Secure despite being a good antivirus when it comes to protecting home equipment does not act the same for business protection because its performance is much lower as well as its ease of use while Avira meets these requirements and its protection is much more complete and efficient, since not only acts against common threats but it is also optimal to protect against advanced threats and the one that works in real time makes the virus detection rate much more efficient before any other antivirus, that is why It is ideal for the protection of business teams
Read full review We were a Kaspersky shop for years. Kaspersky was a resource hog and it didn't even block half of what was thrown at it. We had more outbreaks and more end-user complaints in a year of Kaspersky then we have had in almost three years of Bitdefender.
Read full review Return on Investment NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec)
I have not had serious infections due to viruses or Trojans. In addition, every time a malicious code is downloaded, Avira detects it and blocks it fast enough. So, I have not had to re-format my PC, I have not lost documents that I had stored on disk C, and of course, I have not lost time trying to recover the data from my PC. I've also been able to install it on not-so-powerful PCs, so its users have been able to continue using their computers without any problem and also avoid serious infections. Read full review The ROI for Bitdefender is hard to quantify except that it requires very little maintenance time from our staff. We've spent no time troubleshooting user complaints or issues from users, so it has been a big time-saver over our previously used anti-malware software. Bitdefender's customer service is usually pretty good and also very responsive, so I don't have to wait by the phone or to keep checking email to resolve a problem--although our issues have been mostly informational and not a problem with functionality. Read full review ScreenShots