Symantec is testing a new Pilot program called Norton One. As of this time, the program is available by invitation only and limited to the first 2000 people to sign up. As a participant in the program, you’ll be asked to provide a range of feedback to Symantec make Norton One better.

According to Symantec, Norton One simplifies online security with a single membership that protects your entire household with best-in-class Norton software, premium customer service, and unlimited virus protection assurance.

With a single Norton One membership you can:

  • Secure all of the Macs, PCs, and Android smartphones in your household
  • Get help fast with premium support available exclusively to members
  • Say goodbye to viruses with unlimited virus removal assistance
  • Protect photos, music, and other files with 25GB of online storage
  • Manage your membership with ease

I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to participate in the pilot program and I will explain my experience thus far with it.

Before joining the Norton One Pilot program, I was using Norton Internet Security 2012. I received an e-mail from Symantec with an invitation to participate in the pilot program. Included in the e-mail was my personal key to join. There is a link in the e-mail that takes you to Norton’s website. Here you have to login to your Norton account. If you do not already have an account, users can create one. After signing in, you need to install the Norton One Client.

Once I installed the Norton One Client, Norton began updating my Norton Internet Security 2012 to Norton 360 Ver. 6.0.1.2, it also gave me a full 1 year license of the software. The installation process required no user input on my part and was fully automatic. I did not have to enter my license key and default protection was already enabled on the product.

After installation, I noticed that besides the normal Norton 360 tray icon, there was also a new icon that simply had the number 1 on it. I decided to investigate what the icon was for and clicked on it. Once clicked on, it brings up a small window that shows which Symantec product was installed and on what devices.

There is also a link the get support as well as your Member join date. At the top of the window, it displays your name and when you hover over your name, it displays your Member ID.

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When you connect to Norton One online, you have the option to add multiple devices such as Windows and Mac computers, as well as Android smart phones and tablets right from the home page. Also on the page, there are tabs that include “My Devices” which shows what devices you have the product installed on, “My Account” which gives detailed account information such as installs remaining, how much remaining online backup storage you have, your Membership status, as well as other options, and “Get Support”.

Above those tabs, there is a button to access Norton apps which include Norton Online Family, Norton Online Backup, Norton Safe Web, Norton Account, Norton.com, Norton Update Center, Norton Anti-Theft, Norton Mobile Security, and Norton DNS.

As far as Norton 360 goes, it appears to be pretty much the same as the regular retail version of the product with the addition of the number 1 icon at the bottom.

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I won’t go into detail as to the capabilities or review the actual Norton 360 program as this article is focused on the Norton One Pilot Program, I will say however I am pleased with it and it offers the protection I need.

According to Norton, they state you’ll receive the following benefits with Norton One:

Protect your entire household

Protect all of your family’s devices, including Windows® and Mac® computers, and Android™-based smartphones—all with a single membership.

Get priority expert help 24/7

Have questions? Get answers fast. We have dedicated experts available 24/7/365 exclusively to help Norton One members.

Say goodbye to viruses

Stay protected with industry-leading software that stops most viruses in their tracks. If you think you already have one, our experts can remove it for you remotely.

Manage your security with ease

Add new devices, remove old ones, change software, transfer coverage from one device to the next and even pay for your membership all from one easy-to-use dashboard.

Get the best of Norton

Rely on top-rated Norton to protect you against every kind of online threat, including loss, theft, viruses, phishing, identity theft and much more.

As of right now, speculation is that the price for a 1 year membership to Norton One will be $149.99USD and protects up to five PCs, Macs, or Android devices in a household, however I cannot confirm the final pricing of the product at this time.

Conclusion

So far I have been pleased with Norton One. It offers a variety of services and comprehensive protection, as well as online backup and exclusive support options.

If you would like to participate in the Norton One Pilot Program, you can visit http://us.norton.com/nortonone/promo and fill out your information then click the “Submit” button. According to the website, as well as the e-mail that I received, Norton One membership will be available starting March 22, 2012 in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and is limited to the first 2000 people to sign up. If you receive an invitation, you’ll receive one year of Norton One free. As stated earlier, as a participant in this free program, you’ll be asked to provide a range of feedback to help make Norton One better.