Symantec is world leader in utilities software, both in the corporate and personal computing arena, and now in the Internet area too. The company is better known by the products it sells -- the Norton range of utilities, anti-viruses fixes, productivity tools and security tools.

Symantec’s strategy is to continually satisfy customer needs by developing and marketing products and services across multiple platforms for increased security and utility. It is headquartered in Cupertino, California, with regional offices in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Beijing, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. It is traded on the Nasdaq under the code SYMC. Symantec is ranked in the top ten international software vendors and employs more than 2,300 people worldwide. Its net revenues in 1998 were $ 578 million.

Symantec’s products are organised along two broad business lines. The first line covers security and assistance, which includes products like Norton AntiVirus, Norton Utilities, Norton Ghost, Norton 2000, Norton CleanSweep, and Norton SystemWorks. The second business line is ''remote productivity solutions'' which includes ACT!, pcANYWHERE, WinFaxPRO, Mobile WinFax, pcTelecommute, Symantec Mobile Essentials and Talkworks Pro.

Symantec''s products: how they come and how they go

Symantec''s products come either from internal development, licensing from third parties or by acquisition of technologies, product lines or companies. Enhancement of existing products is done in-house in its business units -- including designing, development, documentation and quality control.

Symantec''s anti-virus research centres (SARCs) in Australia, US, Japan and the Netherlands have a dedicated team of virus experts, which works to identify and neutralise viruses and provide a swift response to virus threats. It is also involved in proactive research on future virus threats and user education about viruses.

Symantec uses a multi-channel strategy, and sells its products through distributors, retailers, mail order, corporate resellers, value-added resellers, original equipment manufacturers, partnerships, education and consulting. Some of its products are available through direct mail and over the Internet.

Its independent distributors stock products to redistribute to independent dealers, consultants and other resellers while Symantec itself maintains relationships with major retailers.

Some partnerships and acquisitions

• With IBM in May 1998 for combining IBM''s anti-virus technology with Symantec''s anti virus products.
• With Intel in September 1998 to buy Intel''s anti-virus business
• Acquisition of UR Labs to support the company''s content security focus for internet access control and email scanning solutions.

Symantec in Asia Pacific

Symantec''s first international office in the Asia Pacific region was established in July 1990, and now the company has regional offices in New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. It operates through representatives in India, Philippines and Thailand.

To cater to the regional customers, Symantec has localised versions of its products like Norton AntiVirus, Norton Utilities, pcANYWHERE, WinFax and TalkWorks Pro in Chinese and Korean. Its fully functional localisation centres in Taiwan, Korea and China help in this regard.

The Asia Pacific headquarters of SARC is located in Sydney, Australia.

Symantec in India

In India, Symantec has recently signed an exclusive distribution tie-up with Godrej Pacific Technology Ltd. to market its products in India. Symantec has a regional alliance with Tech Pacific, which is a stake holder in GPTL. This tie-up with GPTL is part of Symantec Asia Pacific’s marketing and distribution strategy for the South East Asia region.

(Ms Kerrie Ann Turner, Country Manager-India, Symantec in photo alongside)

The company has appointed about 14 value added resellers besides its OEM contracts with HCL and Zenith Ltd to market its Norton AntiVirus Gold Edition. Further, Symantec Corporation and Tata Consultancy Services have entered into a research and development tie-up, where Symantec will invest $ 1 million in the first phase of the R&D project. As part of this relationship, TCS will work to expand Symantec’s Norton AntiVirus for Notes on to the AS/400, S/390, AIX and Solaris platforms.

The Indian office is expected to be in place by the end of September 1999.