At a recent publicity event here, two security companies and accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers showed off their latest tool for selling software: a calculator that lets clients estimate how much money they can save by using the companies' offerings.. . .

At a recent publicity event here, two security companies and accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers showed off their latest tool for selling software: a calculator that lets clients estimate how much money they can save by using the companies' offerings.

The tool highlights an ongoing change in the market. Despite the terror of Sept. 11 and cries of imminent cyberattack, companies aren't interested in security for its sake alone; they want to be able to cut their bottom line as well.

"Every customer that we are talking to says, 'We want to save money; we want fewer suppliers; and we want someone to put themselves on the line and do it for us,'" said Steve Lesem, vice president of the security business unit for corporate application maker BMC Software, one of two companies that partnered with PricewaterhouseCoopers for the Tuesday event.

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