Symantec has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to
acquire IT management software vendor Altiris Inc. for
approximately $830 million. The Cupertino, Calif.-based antivirus
giant said it will use Altiris to beef up its endpoint security
offerings.
 | | | | | This acquisition is the clearest
indication that Symantec fancies itself a competitor with IBM
Tivoli rather than with McAfee.
Mike Rothman,
president and principal analystSecurity
Incite |
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"The most secure endpoint is a well-managed endpoint. The best
protection must be complemented by the ability to remediate and
address vulnerabilities that could be exploited," Symantec Chairman
and CEO John Thompson said in a statement. "By combining the
endpoint management solutions of Altiris with the security
expertise of Symantec, we believe we can offer customers a more
comprehensive solution to protect and manage the millions of
connected devices that make up the fabric of today's global IT
infrastructure."
With Altiris' technology, Symantec hopes to be able to help
customers better manage and enforce security policies at the
endpoint, identify and protect against threats, and repair and
service assets, Thompson said.
Under the terms of the agreement, Altiris stockholders will
receive $33 per share of Altiris common stock in cash, resulting in
a transaction value of approximately $830 million
net-of-cash-acquired, Symantec said. The transaction is expected to
close in the second quarter of 2007.
Mike Rothman, president and principal analyst of Security Incite
in Atlanta, said the acquisition shows -- along with the
acquisition of Veritas two years ago -- that Symantec is looking to
move beyond being just a security company.
"The complexion of the company has changed," he said. "This
acquisition is the clearest indication that Symantec fancies itself
a competitor with IBM Tivoli rather than with McAfee."
The move also shows that Symantec understands the need to shore
up its IT management portfolio, he said.
"Security is a management discipline and this shows that
Symantec understands that," Rothman said. "It's all about how you
implement and automate security management."
Rothman has been critical of Symantec's lack of management
muscle in the past. In an
interview last summer, he said that while
Symantec has a broad product line, it lacks the management
linchpin that's needed for enterprises to make use of all its
offerings.
Greg Butterfield, president and CEO of Altiris, said in a
statement that by combining software solutions, services and
channel distribution strengths, Symantec and Altiris can offer
customers the "total package in endpoint management."
"Today's IT departments face constant pressures to manage
spiraling IT complexity at the lowest possible cost," he said. "We
have made it our goal to help businesses reduce the cost and
complexity of IT, improve system and data security, and better
align IT service with corporate objectives."
Altiris focuses on helping IT professionals manage security on
company desktops, laptops, servers and handheld devices. The
company has also focused on software virtualization technology
designed to provide "faster, simpler and more manageable deployment
of PC applications … to reduce support costs and streamline
software operations," according to the statement.