NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk Now Supports Macs

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Norton by Symantec (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced expansion of its NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk service to include support for Mac® computers and applications. This personal IT help desk service for consumers and small businesses with up to 10 computers now offers multi-platform support for Mac OS systems and applications, as well as Windows-based systems and many digital devices. With Norton market research finding that U.S. households have an average of 4.5 devices between desktop computers, laptops tablets, mobile phones and more, Ultimate Help Desk provides one-stop remote help that's easy, convenient and affordable compared to expensive and often time consuming in-store or in-home services.

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According to a recent Norton research study[1], 11 percent of U.S. households use a combination of PC- and Mac-based computer systems at home.  Both PC and Mac users cited performance degradation and Internet connection problems as the most common issues encountered.  One in four PC owners and one in three Mac owners expressed interest in a third-party technical support plan that would provide year-round technical service coverage for all of their computers and electronic devices.  

"For households and small offices with mixed environments of PCs and Macs, NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk provides an easy-to-use service that supports a heterogeneous computing environment," said Kevin Chapman, vice president and general manager, Worldwide Consumer Services, Symantec.  "Problems commonly arise at the most inopportune moments and with Ultimate Help Desk users now have access to technical experts anytime they need troubleshooting or remediation regardless of the platform they are using."

NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk now supports Mac OS 10.5 and above, as well as iLife, iWork and Mac Mail applications, in addition to already supported Apple products, including iPad, iPhone and iPod. It offers consumers and small business owners with mixed PC and Mac environments an affordable 24x7 live service, available 365-days of the year, from a trusted source. Subscription-based offerings are available as Personal, Family and Small Business plans with unlimited support for a broad range of computer and digital devices, including PCs, Macs, wireless routers, printers, scanners, smartphones, digital cameras, and more. The affordable service provides unlimited help and support for diagnosis and resolution of setup, security, performance, maintenance and data transfer problems – assisting just about anything connected to the Mac or PC. With every help desk subscription comes a one-time setup service that includes the NortonLive Easy Support Tool, a security assessment and PC performance tuning. The availability, coverage and expertise of a trusted brand make NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk a prime choice to support the latest technologies in a cost efficient matter with live support.

Pricing and Availability

NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk is available in the U.S. and Canada. NortonLive Ultimate Help Desk comes in three subscription offerings including Personal, Family and Small Business plans covering from one to ten PCs and Macs. Prices start at US$19.99 per month per PC or Mac. For more information, please visit: http://us.norton.com/nortonlive/ultimate-help-desk.jsp?nv=pp

NortonLive was founded with the vision of delivering convenient, affordable and secure technology support services to consumers and small businesses. In addition to Ultimate Help Desk, NortonLive also provides spyware and virus removal, expert software installation and services that boost PC protection and performance.

About Norton by Symantec

Symantec's Norton products protect consumers from cybercrime with technologies like antivirus, anti-spyware and phishing protection -- while also being light on system resources.  The company also provides services such as online backup, PC tuneup, and family online safety.  Like Norton on Facebook at www.facebook.com/norton.

About Symantec

Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world.  Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please visit the Symantec News Room at http://www.symantec.com/news.  All prices noted are in U.S. dollars and are valid only in the United States.

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Forward Looking Statements:  Any forward-looking indication of plans for products is preliminary and all future release dates are tentative and are subject to change.  Any future release of the product or planned modifications to product capability, functionality or feature are subject to ongoing evaluation by Symantec, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by Symantec and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions. 

[1] Strategy One survey conducted among a U.S. sample of 1,030 adults age 18 years or older on October 6 - 9, 2011

SOURCE Norton by Symantec