Virgin Mobile offers virus protection first

[rpm]

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Cellular/1656.html

 

[Boodles]

R15 a month, no thanks

 

[astrauss]

How did this story evolve from "Virgin offers virus protection" to VC's voicemail to text and ad strategies?

 

[ic]

Virgin Mobile has become the first network in SA to offer its customers protection from cellphone viruses.

This is incorrect on two separate counts, firstly Virgin Mobile SA is not a cellular network operator - it uses CellC's network; and secondly Vodacom has for a long time had free anti-virus protection in place for its customers that operates at a network level, MTN probably does the same thing.

PS: Norton == crap as far as PC anti-virus protection is concerned.

 

[Pitbull]

This is incorrect on two separate counts, firstly Virgin Mobile SA is not a cellular network operator - it uses CellC's network; and secondly Vodacom has for a long time had free anti-virus protection in place for its customers that operates at a network level, MTN probably does the same thing.

PS: Norton == crap as far as PC anti-virus protection is concerned.

IC

If I may ... I think you have it wrong:

The Virus protection I think they refer to is the risk off running up a huge bill for MMS charges. The protection is sort of like insurance for when this does happen. The bill will be paid by the cover.

Or I have read something wrong

edit:

Nope.. Sorry IC you're right

 

[ic]

IC

If I may ... I think you have it wrong:

The Virus protection I think they refer to is the risk off running up a huge bill for MMS charges. The protection is sort of like insurance for when this does happen. The bill will be paid by the cover.

Or I have read something wrong

Ummm, no, I think you have it wrong, according to the article, Virgin Mobile SA will be the first "network" in SA to offer its customers anti-virus protection e.g. from viral-MMSes etc, using a Norton mobile application that Virgin Mobile customers can pay R15/m to download updates for, this is not an insurance protection racket - at least not in the usual sense.

 

[Pitbull]

Ummm, no, I think you have it wrong, according to the article, Virgin Mobile SA will be the first "network" to offer its customers anti-virus protection e.g. from viral-MMSes etc, using a Norton mobile application that Virgin Mobile customers can pay R15/m to download updates for, this is not an insurance protection racket - at least not in the usual sense.

I did appologise before your post

You had it smak on the money there

 

[ic]

I did appologise before your post

You had it smak on the money there

I hit the quote button before your edit, so I've only just seen it after you mentioned it .

Cellular network operators have a responsibility to actively prevent their networks from being used to spread phone viruses, I am quite sure that Vodacom protects its customers from viruses at a network level e.g. spread via MMS, I expect that MTN does too, as for CellC - who knows.

As for the Norton anti-virus application that Virgin Mobile SA is flogging, the words dead horse come to mind - there are many other mobile anti-virus packages to choose from that will likely be much better than Norton.

 

[JK8]

I dont use symbian. Oh well.

 

[AirWolf]

Norton's gonna turn all those smart phones into bricks

 

[Alchemist]

Hey, if you're a Virgin, you need virus protection, just in case. You never know when that day may arrive when you get completely drunk and wake up next to some dodgy looking person and wonder why you've got a bad itch

 

[Conspirator]

I don't even pay for the AV on my PC, now they think I'm gonna pay R15/pm for my cell?
R15 once-off sounds more on the level.

 

[Lydon]

This is incorrect on two separate counts, firstly Virgin Mobile SA is not a cellular network operator - it uses CellC's network; and secondly Vodacom has for a long time had free anti-virus protection in place for its customers that operates at a network level, MTN probably does the same thing.

PS: Norton == crap as far as PC anti-virus protection is concerned.

Regardless on whether Virgin Mobile uses Cell C's network infrastructure or not, it is still a network. This is called a Virtual Mobile Network.

I have Symantec Security on my smartphone and it works pretty well actually.

 

[killadoob]

the fact that norton's name has come up is very off putting

no wait its more like you hear the name and say no

should have gone with avg haha

 

[Skeptik]

How did this story evolve from "Virgin offers virus protection" to VC's voicemail to text and ad strategies?

Yes I noticed this too. It turned into an advertorial for Vodacom.

Virgin sounds desperate. I'm not surprised with a d/l speed today of 0.6 kb/s.

 

[AirWolf]

I don't even pay for the AV on my PC, now they think I'm gonna pay R15/pm for my cell?
R15 once-off sounds more on the level.

Good point. I'm also into free software

Regardless on whether Virgin Mobile uses Cell C's network infrastructure or not, it is still a network. This is called a Virtual Mobile Network.

I have Symantec Security on my smartphone and it works pretty well actually.

Works pretty well compared to what considering you probably haven't tested it with any other mobile AV product?

 

[Nocturne]

lol

I have a Windows Mobile 5 i-Mate Jama, and i-Mate offers me free AV protection for a year, regardless of network. I do not rely on IS (at work) or TelkomInternet (at home) for AV on my PC. Why should I rely on Vodacom (My cellular provider) for it on my cellphone?

Virgin Mobile may be the first network to offer it, but who cares?! I don't want my service provider filtering through any content I receive through their network. And that goes for my ISP as well.

 

[ic]

Regardless on whether Virgin Mobile uses Cell C's network infrastructure or not, it is still a network. This is called a Virtual Mobile Network.

I have Symantec Security on my smartphone and it works pretty well actually.

The article doesn't mention anything about Virgin Mobile SA being the first virtual mobile network operator to offer a monthly anti-virus subscription, the article implies that Virgin Mobile SA has its own physical network which is something I find rather annoying since SA only has 3 cellular network operators yet people keep referring to Virgin Mobile as the 4th cellular network operator, which it is not.

As a matter of interest, how much did you pay for your Symantec Security licence for your smartphone? - compared to Virgin Mobile's R15.00/m, also what is the difference between Symantec Security for your smartphone and the version of Norton that Virgin Mobile are flogging?