Don't forget to mention that those prices are per YEAR. Unlike previous versions of Backup Exec where the price was for the product complete, Symantec are now charging per license per year (at least in the UK). Makes it very expensive when you have to pay £600 + VAT every year for the backup software.

Hmm, interesting change. Previously Netbackup was sold by a select band of authorised resellers (who had to invest in training, certification etc). For this they received a hefty additional discount, making sure that Netbackup had to be supplied through themselves. All fair enough.

However, if they're combining Netbackup with Backup Exec in one business unit, will this mean Netbackup is open to all and sundry? I would guess some of those resellers who invested significant amounts of time and money in getting their engineers certified and keeping them certified might be a little miffed.

Symantec has not changed its channel policy in regards to Netbackup, if anything the margins have improved and product access remains the same. “Hefty” discounts can still be earned with certification, and if the order is taken via our Partner Opportunity registration program then even more margin is available to qualifying partners versus the Veritas period – at Symantec we appreciate the significant contributionand investments our longstanding certified partners have made and we have made every effort to protect this value accordingly.

This is not correct. Backup Exec remains available as a perpetual license and therefore the license does not expire as suggested; customers can continue to use the Backup Exec without having to pay Symantec every year. Of course, some customers may wish to take advantage of ongoing upgrades, maintenance releases and extended Tech support via Backup Exec maintenance options