McAfee was Network Associates now it's McAfee again.

NETWORK ASSOCIATES, the security company formally known as McAfee, wants to change its name back.

The move is part of an effort to cut costs, apparently, and focus on its security products. McAfee will also be flogging its Sniffer family of network management products to a private equity firm which will turn the Sniffer business into a new, stand-alone company called Network General.

For those in the industry with memories, a company called Network General merged with McAfee to form Network Associates in 1998.

Around the same time "Network Associates" ended a long running war of words with British AV company Dr Solomon by buying the company.

The then Network Associates chairman Bill Larson, who was wont to tirade Dr Solomon at company barbecues, made Alan Solomon an offer he couldn't refuse and ended a highly amusing run of news stories where the two used to slag each other off.

The new CEO George Samenuk said the company may also use nearly $1 billion in cash to buy additional security products and fill holes in its product list. µ