COMPANY PRESS RELEASE: Trend Micro, a worldwide leader in antivirus and Internet security solutions, has licensed its award-winning PC-cillin 2000 antivirus software to Elitegroup Computer Systems for shipment with millions of motherboards and computer systems each year.
End users of ECS products anywhere in the world are entitled to free, updated antivirus protection from Trend Micro for three months, as well as a substantial discount on extended subscriptions. An efficient online registration system operated by Trend Micro will facilitate antivirus updates for new users while enabling ECS to analyze the global distribution and usage of its products.
Elitegroup became one of the world’s largest motherboard producers in 2001, with monthly unit shipments surpassing the 1.5 million level. Since September 2001, ECS has included a copy of PC-cillin 2000 with each motherboard and system shipped. Users who register the software online receive three months of free antivirus service, including virus pattern file, scan engine and software updates, as well as optional notification by email in the case of a virus outbreak. ECS customers also have an opportunity to extend their subscription for an additional year at a cost of US$8, less than one-third of the usual retail price for PC-cillin 2000 with a one-year subscription. Trend Micro’s online registration system tabulates responses by ECS end-users in real time, enabling Trend Micro to provide ECS with quantitative measurements of its customer base.
This agreement lets Trend Micro offer proactive, reliable, and easy-to-use virus protection to millions of new users at a tremendous discount, while providing valuable logistical data to an important OEM partner. It’s a win-win situation for all involved, said Marvin Chiu, Trend Micro’s general manager in Taiwan. He added that the system could easily be adapted for other PC hardware and system vendors.
Bundling PC-cillin 2000 with our products gives customers the added value of a more secure computing experience, said Mike Chou, vice president of product marketing for ECS. Moreover, Trend Micro’s online registration system can profile a current sample of our customer base, giving insight into how and where our products are being used. In the long run, we hope this knowledge will help us improve efficiency, boost customer satisfaction, and ultimately increase sales and market share.
