Symantec 1996 Annual Report Download - page 8

After 20 years, the personal computer has finally
come home.
From its debut as a hobbyist machine in the
c i rcles of a few dedicated enthusiasts to its ultimate
integration into corporate America, the humble
P C has profoundly changed the way most of us
think and work. And now, with an estimated
33%1of U.S. households owning one or more o f
these machines, the P C is finally beginning to
make its mark on the folks down the street.
At Symantec, we’ve been with the P C
v i rtually from the start, supplying pro d u c t i v i t y,
communication, and utility software to help
users get the most from their computers. Ou r
heritage as a PC software developer has always
encompassed an intimate knowledge of desktop
users, and of the kinds of tools they need to
keep their systems working at peak efficiency.
Today, as the computer comes home to a bro a d e r
audience, we’re leveraging this k n o wledge to help
these new users feel more comfortable with, and
in better control of, their computing experiences.
To this end, Symantec in fiscal 1996 inve s t e d
h e a v i l y i n d e ve l o p i n g m a rk e t i n g a c t i v i t i e s
that addressed the specific concerns of new users.
We initiated, for example, a highly successful
p r ogram that communicated through mainstre a m
consumer and business media basic tips and
techniques for home PC operation and mainte-
nance. Just as we know we should change our
c a r’s oil eve ry 3,000 miles, we also should know
about certain techniques–such as backing up files
and protecting against viru s es–that keep our
c o m p u t e r s and data in optimum shape.
This is especially true as the emergence of
the Internet offers new ways to transmit not only
d a t a , but also, u n f o rt u n a t e l y, v i ru s e s . Although we
may be vigilant ourselves, we still need to practice
“defensive computing” in our daily lives.
Sy m a n t e c’s Peter No rton Group has been
at the fore f ront of the Company’s effort in this
a rea, with our industry-leading No rton Ut i l i t i e s
and Norton AntiVirus products. These powerful
p r ograms enable users to perform basic diagnostic
and repair functions through simple, unintimi-
dating interfaces that shield users from complex,
underlying operations. With 70%2of the U. S .
m a r ket, and 53%2of the market outside the U. S . ,
No rton An tiVi ru s is the program of choice in
the anti-virus category, as is No rton Ut i l i t i e sin the
broader utilities category.
T h rough ongoing enhancements in these
and other utility programs, Symantec will
continue to ensure that the Company’s products
remain synonymous with the needs of basic,
everyday computing. Welcome home.
1. Computer Intelligence InfoCorp, January 1996
2. International Data Corp, 1995
Welcome to the neighborhood.