US security software firm Symantec puts Altiris for sale: report
16 Jan 2013
US security software company Symantec Corp, which has put its unit Altiris Inc up for sale, has attracted interest from several private equity firms, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, citing people familiar with the situation.
Symantec had acquired Altiris in 2007 for $830 million, but the sale is expected to fetch less than the purchase price, said the report.
Founded in 1998 and based in Lindon, Utah, Altiris specialises in service-oriented management software that allows organisations to manage their IT assets.
It also provides software for web services, security, and systems management products. Altiris has over 20,000 customers managing more than 3 million servers and 60 million desktops and laptops.
With a market capitalisation of around $14 billion, Symantec provides software to protect computers and networks from viruses and other threats.