Symantec 2004 Annual Report Download - page 23

SYMANTEC CORPORATION «21»
Symantec Security Response delivers knowledgeable, proactive
security protection through product security policies and best
practice guidelines that can be updated and distributed through
automated processes. Additionally, Symantec Security Response
provides rapid reactive security protection through its incident
response program, including emergency security signatures
and policies, as well as outbound communications such as
alerting services.
Symantec Security Response not only provides time-sensitive
security advisories using Web updates, but also provides alerting
services, technical support and media alerts. Symantec Security
Response is committed to educating the general public about
key security threats and trends through published white papers
and speaking engagements worldwide.
RESEARCH CENTERS
The research centers for Symantec Security Response are
focused on collecting and analyzing the latest malware threats,
from network security threats and vulnerabilities to viruses and
worms. When a new threat or vulnerability is discovered,
Symantec Security Response experts provide rapid emergency
response, focusing on communication with customers and delivery
of security updates for our security products. Research centers
are located around the world, including the United States, Asia
Pacific and Europe.
To ensure that customers are utilizing the most recent technologies
available for addressing security issues, Symantec Security Response
experts leverage our sophisticated back-end product architecture.
This architecture allows users to receive the latest security
updates, including intrusion detection signatures and virus definitions,
automatically in the event of a new security threat or outbreak.
LiveUpdate technology simplifies and speeds the process
of receiving and implementing security updates for our security
product offerings at the server, gateway and desktop levels.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
With more than 300 experts in Internet security, desktop and network
management, our global technical support team is available around
the clock. Our technical support experts provide customers with
information on product implementation and usage, as well as
countermeasures and identification tools for new threats.
We maintain centralized support facilities throughout the world
to drive rapid response to complex queries. Support is available
in multiple languages, including Dutch, English, French, German,
Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese and Spanish.
ENTERPRISE SECURITY SUPPORT
Our enterprise security support program offers annual support
contracts to enterprise customers worldwide. Our standard annual
support contracts provide 1) unlimited hot-line service delivered
by telephone, fax, e-mail and over the Internet; 2) immediate
patches for severe problems; 3) periodic software updates;
4) access to our technical knowledge base and FAQ facility; and
5) an invitation to the annual user group meeting. Inclusive in
these standard annual support contracts are virus definitions and
intrusion detection signatures created by Symantec Security
Response. Customers may augment their standard annual support
contract with services such as 24x7 telephone and Web support,
advanced alerting services, additional designated callers (contacts)
and additional language support, as well as a Technical Account
Manager, assigned to work closely with an organization and act
as a focal point for all issues.
CONSUMER PRODUCT SUPPORT
Our consumer product support program provides free self-help
online services to all consumer customers worldwide, as well as free
e-mail support. A team of product experts, editors and language
translators are dedicated to maintaining the robustness of the
online knowledge base. Generally, telephone product support
is provided for a fee. For customers that subscribe to them, the
latest virus definitions and application bug fixes and/or patches
for most of our currently marketed and developed products
are downloaded automatically through LiveUpdate, created by
Symantec Security Response.
We revise these fee-based support programs from time to time
as customer requirements change and as market trends dictate.
These programs may vary slightly by region.
Recent Acquisitions and Divestitures
ACQUISITIONS
Since our initial public offering on June 23, 1989, we have completed
acquisitions of 33 businesses. Our recent acquisitions included:
•ON Technology Corp. in the March 2004 quarter;
•PowerQuest, Inc. and SafeWeb, Inc. in the
December 2003 quarter;
•Nexland, Inc. in the September 2003 quarter;
•Riptech, Inc., Recourse Technologies, Inc., SecurityFocus, Inc.,
and Mountain Wave, Inc. in the September 2002 quarter; and
•Lindner &Pelc Consult GmbH and Foster-Melliar Limited’s
enterprise security management division in the September
2001 quarter.
2004 Annual Report