Symantec

Tech Data dedicates resources to healthcare, Symantec technologies

IT channel products distributor Tech Data has established an new industry solutions unit for the healthcare sector. It also has focused technical resources on a center populated with Symantec products. Continued »

Symantec ties new extended financing to SMB skills

High-tech vendors have been pretty creative this year about establishing new financing options for partners that have been hit hard by the credit crunch. Now, Symantec has started up a new short-term program that is intended for partners that have made the effort to earn its SMB Specialization status. Continued »

Microsoft plans more security offerings

Morro, Microsoft’s free consumer security software, is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg regarding the company’s latest security push.

Microsoft this week announced that a security and IT management offering for businesses will become part of its hosted Microsoft Online Services family in 2010. And the company also has a major security-related announcement planned for next month.

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Microsoft sets its sights on consumer security

Microsoft is coming out with free consumer security software — a move that could spell trouble for the leaders in the market.

The company said yesterday it’s discontinuing its Windows Live OneCare subscription security service next year and replacing it with the free software, code-named Morro. Morro will protect against viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans, according to Microsoft.

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Symantec CEO John Thompson to retire

Symantec CEO John Thompson is retiring next year, and COO Enrique Salem — a controversial figure among Symantec partners — will replace him.

The company made the announcement this afternoon, and the move will become official April 4, 2009. Thompson will remain as chairman of Symantec’s board of directors, and Salem will join the board at that time. Thompson becomes the second high-level Symantec executive to leave in as many months; worldwide channel vice president Julie Parrish left for NetApp in October.

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Symantec’s Security Operations Center: A look inside

During last week’s Symantec Partner Engage conference, I got to do something only 200 of Symantec’s 17,500 employees can do: access the company’s Security Operations Center (SOC).

The SOC in Alexandria, Va. is one of Symantec’s four centers throughout the world. The others are in England, Australia and India, and together they process 2 billion incidents a day for Symantec’s managed security services customers. Here are some photographs from inside the SOC and some more information about the facility:

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Symantec tries to mend its ’stubbed toe’

I’m a Symantec user. At home, I run Norton 360. My work laptop has Symantec AntiVirus. They both work very well. But oh my God, are they memory hogs.

Whenever either computer is running slowly — which happens a lot – I launch the ol’ Windows Task Manager, and sure enough, there’s the Symantec program, eating up RAM like Pac-Man gobbles up dots. At last week’s Partner Engage conference, COO Enrique Salem even admitted problems with product quality, saying, “We’ve stubbed our toe a little bit.”

Now — finally — Symantec’s trying to fix the problem.

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Symantec may not replace Julie Parrish

WASHINGTON, D.C. — COO Enrique Salem said just now that Symantec may restructure its worldwide channel group and not replace outgoing vice president Julie Parrish.

He made the comment here at Partner Engage 2008, during a question-and-answer luncheon with the media. As Parrish prepares to leave for NetApp, Salem said he can now ask, “Is there a more efficient way to run the organization?”

“I’m not 100% sure that the best structure is to just do what we’ve been doing,” he said.

Salem said there is no timetable for deciding whether or not to name a new worldwide channel vice president. In the meantime, Symantec’s three regional channel vice presidents — including North American channel chief Randy Cochran — will take on added responsibilities.

Symantec launches training, SaaS programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Symantec kicked off Partner Engage 2008 today by announcing two new partner programs: Symantec University for Partners and the Symantec Protection Network (SPN) Partner Program.

Symantec University for Partners offers new training and accreditations in both the sales and technical sides. The SPN Partner Program creates two specializations for partners that sell Software as a Service (SaaS), and partners that qualify for the higher Premier specialization can earn higher commissions.

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Laurus Technologies: Symantec’s rookie of the year

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Laurus Technologies, an Itasca, Ill.-based solution provider, won the rookie partner of the year award this morning at Symantec Partner Engage 2008.

Laurus started leading with Symantec products last year and saw its annual Symantec sales increase from $70,000 to $1.5 million. The partner also moved its Wisconsin office into a new building, where Symantec is one of its neighbors.

Symantec COO Enrique Salem presented the award to Todd Wilson, Laurus’ sales director, at the beginning of his keynote address this morning.