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Year on year, the revenues from the market have grown some 13 per cent to more than $4 billion. However, Gartner says it has changed the way it tots up the figures: whereas previously it collected data on new sales, it is now accounting for subscription renewals and managed services, which will naturally lift the figures.

Despite those adjustments, Nicole Latimer-Livingston, principal research analyst for Gartner, forecast continued strong growth in the immediate future. 'The worldwide antivirus software market is expected to continue its double-digit growth for the short term. However, the

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market for stand-alone antivirus and anti-spyware products for businesses and consumers will eventually start to decline as interest for end-point security product suites continues to grow,' she said.

In short, in the consumer market the trend towards security suites rather than component solutions looks set to continue. Then there's Microsoft entering the fray with a managed consumer service in the form of OneCare, shortly followed by the Symantec and McAfee me-too products. Together this looks likely to pressure prices downwards, decreasing revenues.

But for 2005, the two leading lights remain Symantec and McAfee, with 53.6 per cent and 18.8 per cent market share respectively. Third placed is Trend Micro, with its stronghold in the Far East, with 13.8 per cent.

Yet in terms of growth, Panda Software showed the most promise, with a 23.8 per cent year on year growth, giving it 3.2 per cent and a fourth place. Latimer-Livingston claimed strong sales in the small business segment within Europe had boosted its presence.

More information is available in the full report.