Symantec 2012 Annual Report Download - page 92

Available Information
Our Internet address is www.symantec.com. We make available free of charge our annual reports on
Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports as
soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (“SEC”) on our investor relations website located at www.symantec.com/invest. The information
contained, or referred to, on our website is not part of this annual report unless expressly noted. The SEC
maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding our
filings at http://www.sec.gov.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
A description of the risk factors associated with our business is set forth below. The list is not exhaustive
and you should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties before investing in our common stock.
Fluctuations in demand for our products and services are driven by many factors, and a decrease in
demand for our products could adversely affect our financial results.
We are subject to fluctuations in demand for our products and services due to a variety of factors, including
general economic conditions, competition, product obsolescence, technological change, shifts in buying patterns,
financial difficulties and budget constraints of our current and potential customers, levels of broadband usage,
awareness of security threats to IT systems, and other factors. While such factors may, in some periods, increase
product sales, fluctuations in demand can also negatively impact our product sales. If demand for our products
and solutions declines, whether due to general economic conditions or a shift in buying patterns, our revenues
and margins would likely be adversely affected.
If we are unable to develop new and enhanced products and services that achieve widespread market
acceptance, or if we are unable to continually improve the performance, features, and reliability of our
existing products and services or adapt our business model to keep pace with industry trends, our business
and operating results could be adversely affected.
Our future success depends on our ability to respond to the rapidly changing needs of our customers by
developing or introducing new products, product upgrades, and services on a timely basis. We have in the past
incurred, and will continue to incur, significant research and development expenses as we strive to remain
competitive. New product development and introduction involves a significant commitment of time and
resources and is subject to a number of risks and challenges including:
• Managing the length of the development cycle for new products and product enhancements, which has
frequently been longer than we originally expected
• Adapting to emerging and evolving industry standards and to technological developments by our
competitors and customers
• Extending the operation of our products and services to new and evolving platforms, operating systems
and hardware products, such as mobile devices
• Entering into new or unproven markets with which we have limited experience, including the delivery of
solutions in an appliance form factor
• Managing new product and service strategies, including integrating our various security and storage
technologies, management solutions, customer service, and support into unified enterprise security and
storage solutions
• Addressing trade compliance issues affecting our ability to ship our products
• Developing or expanding efficient sales channels
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