Third BUSINES Superbrands-2010-final 6/1/11 12:46 PM Page 92 Market safeguard and keep open cyber highways is a imminently powerful, year after year. Cyberspace is full of creepy crawlies. Consider source of abiding comfort for millions of In 2007, for instance, International Data the latest gremlins – Pillenz, Bamital, Sefrnit, internet users. Corporation (IDC) recognised Symantec in a Pylespa, Daonol, Zbot and Tidserv and add the Its success can be attributed to keeping its wide range of award categories including Data old, broad-spectrum favourites, spyware, adware, ears to the ground and developing technologies Protection and Recovery; Cross-platform worms, viruses, trojans and spam and you’ve that synchronise with the needs of customers. provider of Clustering and Availability; Email entered the world of cyber crime.These are the To accomplish this feat the company has created Archiving Applications; Security and Vulnerability pests which have made working on a PC or a unique web called the Symantec Global Management; and Policy and Compliance, and laptop a forgettable nightmare.The universal Intelligence Network.This is an extraordinary Host and Vulnerability Software; plus an award quest for a protector has thrown up several resource which provides a real-time view of for software developed for Messaging Security names but the one that has become virtually emerging digital threats almost anywhere in the and Virus Protection. synonymous with computer software, world. With more than 40,000 sensors in 180 In the same year, Gartner rated the company particularly in the realms of security and countries and more than 6200 managed security as Global Market Share Leader in Enterprise information management, is Symantec. devices, Symantec gathers malicious code data Backup; Backup and Recovery Software; Core Headquartered in Cupertino, California, from 120 million systems and scans more Storage Management Software; and Email Active Symantec is a US$ 6 billion (Rs. 27,000 crore) than 30% of the world’s email traffic. At the Archiving. Between 2006 and 2007, in the company generating US$ 4.10 billion company’s three security operation centres – Gartner Magic Quadrants, the company was (Rs. 18,450 crore) from its enterprise business one of which is in India – employees analyse listed as a leader in PC Configuration Life Cycle and the rest from consumer solutions. 54% of and correlate emerging threats to help Management; Managed Security Services its revenue comes from the Americas, 31% from customers prepare for and withstand attacks. Providers (NA); Storage Services; Security Information and Event Management; Content Monitoring and Filtering for Data Loss Prevention and Email Security Boundary. To cap a highly successful run, Symantec was named a leader in several Forrester Waves: Enterprise Database Monitoring and Real-Time Protection; Client Management Suites; Enterprise Security Information Management; Information Leak Prevention and IT Asset Management. History Symantec Corporation was incorporated in Delaware in 1982. It was created to provide on-line security against virus attacks and thus help individuals and enterprises feel assured that the integrity of their information technology infrastructure as well as the Europe, the Middle East and Asia and the rest Achievements information itself was not being compromised. from the Japan-APAC region.The company While Symantec plans its internal growth its Early in its life, Symantec met unqualified operates in more than 40 countries and is part aptitude to successfully integrate acquired success when it published Q&A – a dual-mode of the NASDAQ and Fortune 500 listings. technologies is the key that keeps Symantec product that was both a word processor and a By a diligent combination of planned relevant in the war to prevent a cyber data base. It was also by now well-known for its development and strategic acquisitions onslaught.This relentless pursuit has won development tools, particularly THINK Pascal, Symantec has grown into the world’s fourth Symantec millions of admirers – and almost THINK C, Symantec C++ and Visual Cafe largest independent software company every major technology award and top-tier packages that were popular on the Macintosh employing more than 17,500 people.The fact ranking from industry analysts. Perhaps, this and IBM PC compatible platforms. that the company is working quietly to explains why the Symantec brand remains so However, Symantec had bigger plans. It 92 BUSINESS SUPERBRANDS Third BUSINES Superbrands-2010-final 6/1/11 12:46 PM Page 93 Reduction Initiative.This collaborative effort between the public, private and non-profit sectors aims to reduce CO2 emissions throughout the region to 20% below the 1990 levels, by 2010. Promotion One of the company’s key objectives is to reach out to consumers and educate them on how to defend their computer data from virus attacks. Online threats, today, are more sophisticated, damaging and potentially dangerous than ever before. Symantec plays an important role in educating people about online frauds, theft of personal information and reasoned that rather than invest time in growing, diversified markets within the software other cyber crimes. developing tools its rise would be swifter if it sector: the secure content management and Symantec participates in public-policy simply acquired companies whose strategies and the storage software data.The former includes dialogue and law-enforcement efforts geared business interests paralleled its own. With this products that protect consumers and towards detecting and deterring cyber offence. perspective it revamped its operations in the enterprises from threats to computers, The company also supports the development of 1990s. An early purchase gave Symantec computer networks and electronic information the next generation of cyber security talent ownership of Norton Utilities, created in the devices and platforms.The latter includes through its internship and scholarship mid-1980s by software engineer, Peter Norton. products that archive, protect and recover programmes. And in 2003, it acquired PowerQuest, the business-critical data. By themselves these are company that developed PartitionMagic. huge businesses and require special focus.To Brand Values By amalgamating these two acquisitions it strengthen their operations and to exploit their The company’s core belief is that people should rechristened its offering under the Norton full potential, Symantec, on 31st March 2006, be able to work and play freely in a connected PartitionMagic brand. Similarly, NetWare restructured its business into six operating world and that customers should have Partition Manager – ServerMagic and segments: Consumer Products, Enterprise confidence in their connected experience – PowerQuest’s Drive Image software – replaced Security, Data Protection, Storage and Server infrastructure, information and interactions. the original Norton Ghost. Management, Services and Others. All employees are instilled with values On 16th December 2004,Veritas and designed to give substance to this belief.The Symantec announced their plans to merge. With Recent Developments company encourages the promotion of Veritas valued at US$ 13.50 billion (then It requires a very special set of achievements to innovation through creativity and collaboration; Rs. 54,000 crore) it was the largest software find a place in the league of the world's most it extols employees to achieve goals and exceed industry merger of its time. Symantec’s influential companies. But that’s exactly what customer expectations; it advocates the shareholders voted to approve the merger on Symantec did. From being ranked 672 in the inculcation of attributes of honesty and integrity 24th June 2005 and the deal closed successfully Fortune listing in 2006, the company climbed to and it promotes fairness and accountability. on 2nd July – two days before America’s 229th 515 in 2007, muscled its way to the 461st rank As a critical component in keeping the world Independence Day. After the merger, Symantec in 2008 – breaking into the 500 league for the networked, Symantec is fully apprised of its had a considerably expanded portfolio including first time. By 2010 Symantec had powered its crucial role.This explains why it usually has an storage related products such as the popular way to the 353rd position. antidote ready to battle a virus attack. Veritas File System (VxFS),Veritas Volume A review of its businesses suggested that the Manager (VxVM) and Veritas Volume next phase of growth would necessitate www.symantec.com Replicator (VxVR). The merger with Veritas strengthened Symantec and it launched into a series of acquisitions and strategic partnerships: four in 2006, three in 2007, six in 2008 and two in 2009. In 2010 Symantec had acquired four companies – Gideon Technologies, GuardainEdge, PGP and VeriSign’s security business.These acquisitions have allowed the company to hone in on emerging opportunities and capitalise on industry growth trends. Product Symantec is also an industry leader in re-focussing on its core competencies. In January comprehensive electronic messaging security, 2008, Symantec announced that it was spinning Things you didn’t know about offering solutions for instant messaging, anti- off Precise Software Solutions, its application Symantec spam, anti-virus, legal compliance, content performance management business to Vector compliance, legal discovery and message Capital.This was one of the steps that freed the Symantec