Symantec announced Project Genesis on February 7, 2006. Genesis would differ from Symantec's other consumer security products by incorporating file backup and PC maintenance tools with antivirus capabilities and a firewall. Phishing protection and real-time heuristics were also planned. Windows Vista compatibility was a major aspect of Genesis. Genesis was slated for release in September. In May 2005, Microsoft announced Windows Live OneCare, a security suite with similar functionalities, slated for release in 2006.
Genesis was renamed Norton 360 on May 31, 2006. Its feature set was confirmed—it would have the same functionalities of Norton Internet Security—with file backup, PC maintenance, phishing protection, and real-time heuristics. A public beta test was planned for summer 2006. The final release date was set at the end of 2006. The same day, McAfee announced Falcon, a security suite with similar functionalities as Norton 360 and OneCare. However, those dates were delayed. OneCare was launched in summer 2006 while Falcon entered public beta testing.
Some viewed Norton 360 as a response to Microsoft's antivirus software, OneCare. However, with the release of OneCare, some saw Symantec as lagging behind its rivals. Mark Bregman, Symantec's vice president, claimed the upcoming Norton 360 was not intended to compete with OneCare, stating "We somehow left the wrong impression in the market place that there's Windows Live OneCare from Microsoft, there's Falcon from McAfee, and there's nothing from Symantec."
The first public beta was delivered in November 2006, compatible with Windows XP. A second beta was subsequently released December 20, 2006, adding compatibility for Windows Vista build 6000. After 100,000 people tested the software, Symantec began distribution to retailers in February 2007.
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