Intel – Dr. Scott's Business Blog

AV Pioneer McAfee Covering Tracks in Murder Drama

November 19, 2012 by Scott Testa Leave a Comment

Image via CrunchBase

Antivirus trailblazer John McAfee is on the run from authorities in Belize who are seeking him in connection with the murder of a neighbor. Although McAfee has been away from the tech world for a long time and no longer has anything to do with the company he founded, there are concerns that the emerging lurid details of his life and possible crime could taint the company that still bears his name.

John McAfee, founder of the eponymous antivirus software company, is wanted in Belize in connection with the murder of American Gregory Faull, according to news accounts. The San Pedro police department is said to be actively searching for McAfee, who has gone missing.

This episode is focusing a very public spotlight on the downward, highly destructive spiral McAfee reportedly has been on for years — a cycle that is said to include drugs, guns, prostitution and a lot of violence. His early days as a tech luminary — he was one of the first people to design antivirus software and to create a virus scanner — are clearly long gone, never to reemerge.

The McAfee Brand

It is fair to wonder how these events — now making international headlines — will impact the McAfee corporate brand.

On one hand, it is hard to imagine how they could have any impact. Though he founded the company, John McAfee has long been divorced from it, noted Scott Testa, director of development forChina Project Hope and a former marketing professor at Cabrini College.

“In an odd way, it could wind up even having some positives for the product line,” Testa told the E-Commerce Times. “After all, what do they say? ‘ There’s no such thing as bad publicity.'”

The events could wind up evoking feelings of familiarity with the McAfee brand among consumers, even after this drama recedes into the background, he suggested.

“I really don’t think there will be negative ramifications from a brand perspective,” Testa said, although “you can bet that Intel will do whatever it has to to disassociate itself from what is happening.”

A name change could be in the company’s future.

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/76613.html

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Anti-Virus, Belize, Cabrini College, E-Commerce Times, Intel, John McAfee, marketing, McAfee, public relations, Scott Testa, Social network service, United States

Quoted – FTC Sues, What’s the Fallout for Intel? – Datamation

December 16, 2009 by Scott Testa 9 Comments

: Image via CrunchBase

Quoted – FTC Sues, What’s the Fallout for Intel? – Datamation

The Federal Trade Commission‘s lawsuit against Intel isn’t earning a lot of cheers of support, except maybe from nVidia. In fact, analysts think the suit over claims that the world’s biggest chip maker used its market position to stifle competitors is late and pointless.

The FTC’s slowness isn’t the only problem. It’s also toothless. “If history tells us anything, at the end of the day, most are pretty unsuccessful. Microsoft did not get broken up. IBM Business Administration at Cabrini College in Philadelphia. did not get broke up. These big cases are generally unsuccessful,” said Scott Testa, professor of

While nVidia will be all too happy to help the FTC in the case, AMD has settled its legal beef with Intel and just received the $1.25 billion settlement. However, even if it doesn’t want to testify, it has no choice.

“They may be subpoenaed. They may not have a choice. When you get subpoenaed you don’t say ‘Hey it’s settled, we don’t want to talk about it.’ You go,” said Professor Testa.

Testa said Intel can’t be timid about such accusations if it wants to compete, nor should it. “At some point in time you have to compete. I don’t think a company should be penalized for being superior. They are an aggressive company and they shouldn’t run their business wrapped around legal ramifications. They should run their business around business ramifications,” he said.

http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/features/article.php/3853911/FTC-Sues-Whats-the-Fallout-for-Intel