Symantec is to extend its
online messaging security services offering with the
acquisition of MessageLabs for around £410m.
The acquisition of online messaging and web security services
firm MessageLabs is expected to be completed by the end of this
year.
With MessageLabs, Symantec says it will gain a lead in the
rapidly growing software as a service (SaaS) market, and the
deal strengthens its position in the messaging security market.
MessageLabs has more than eight million end-users in more than
19,000 organisation, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500
companies.
Symantec says it will capitalise on cross-selling and up-selling
its existing SaaS offerings of back-up, storage and online remote
access into the MessageLabs customer base.
Future SaaS offerings, leveraging Symantec technology in data
loss prevention, compliance, endpoint security and archiving, will
be enhanced by MessageLabs' expertise in SaaS sales, operations and
support.
"MessageLabs extends our investments in the software-as-a
service segment and will allow us to offer our customers
unprecedented choice from a single provider of message security
solutions," said John Thompson, chief executive at Symantec.
"By combining MessageLabs with our Symantec Protection Network
team, we have one of the strongest portfolios of
cloud-based infrastructure services and a great foundation on
which to grow," he said.