To me, John McAfee is one of the most important technologists of the 20th century. Not only was he one of the first to develop antivirus software, he was a smart businessman. He distributed his software for free and it spread like, well, a virus, quickly becoming the standard for the industry. And on top of that, there's built-in demand. As long as there are angst-ridden 15-year-olds out there creating the next big virus/worm, individuals and businesses will need the latest antivirus protection.
The genesis of his efforts was his company, McAfee
The restructuring of its business (through the aforementioned sale) and improved cost controls are having an immediate, positive impact for McAfee. In addition, the company is showing traction with distribution deals, such as with AOL. In fact, McAfee is building a large consumer online-services business, with 13.1 million subscribers. In the second quarter, the company added 2.1 million subscribers.
Expect the growth to continue. McAfee estimates third-quarter revenues at $225 million to $245 million, with earnings of $0.28 per share. McAfee is putting lots of resources into providing customers with better solutions. For example, a couple months ago McAfee purchased a private company, Wireless Security, which develops security products for Wi-Fi networks.
While competitor Symantec
Fool contributor Tom Taulli does not own shares mentioned in this article.