MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - Jun 5, 2012) - Symantec Corp. (NASDAQ: [ SYMC ]) today announced it has completed the formation of a world-class organization dedicated entirely to small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and the partners who serve them, with a focus on making it easy for SMBs to protect their information and move their business forward with confidence.

New and emerging businesses contribute a significant percentage of the innovative products and services that transform the way we work, live, and play today. However, SMBs are faced with a number of challenges that can prevent them from being the unfettered engines of growth, innovation and prosperity. The abundance of technology and barrage of information can create tremendous opportunity while at the same time bring immense perplexity and greater risk. In fact, 71 percent of SMBs that suffer from a cyber attack never recover -- it's fatal. And according to Symantec's recent [ Internet Security Threat Report ], 18 percent of all targeted attacks are directed at businesses with 250 or fewer employees. What's worse, because of the importance of connectivity and collaboration through web, email, social networks and online applications, their behavior also makes them four times more at risk of malware attacks than their larger counterparts.

However despite increased risk, for some SMBs, buying, deploying and managing security, storage and backup systems is just too complicated for them to devote the time, money and energy. So they cross their fingers and wing it.

Enter Symantec, which began a variety of SMB-specific initiatives last Fall and has completed the creation of a dedicated SMB team whose mission is to redefine how SMBs safeguard their information by providing 360 degrees of protection -- from web browsing and online transactions, to email and collaboration, to backup and recovery -- in a way that's easy to purchase, deploy, manage and support. Led by Group President Rowan Trollope, the new organization brings together SMB experts who not only understand the specific needs of SMBs and the partners who sell to them, but are wholly focused on serving, enabling, helping and protecting this important business community around the world. Working closely together, the team is channeling their passion and knowledge into the design and delivery of Symantec's SMB products; marketing, communication and support; as well as delivering white-glove treatment to partners with hands-on enablement and significant financial incentives.

Complete Information Protection Built Specifically for SMBs
Today's SMBs are looking for speed, ease of deployment and an amazing user experience, which is why Symantec is radically simplifying its SMB product portfolio to make it easier than ever to buy, set-up, manage and receive support for Symantec products. SMB customers using Symantec's [ on-premise and cloud SMB solutions ] can be up and running within 20 minutes or less, making information protection fast and easy so customers can focus on innovation and growing their business. In addition, Symantec's SMB team is developing new solutions that will address emerging business needs, integrate technologies, deliver a more dynamic user experience, and simplify the overall purchasing and subscription process. These solutions are slated to be rolled out through the second half of 2012.

Incentive Programs Tailored for SMB Partners
Symantec also recognizes the enormous opportunities for the many partners that serve the SMB market, and offers customized programs and substantial sales incentives to help them gain a competitive advantage and accelerate their business. In addition to the [ Symantec Partner Program ], Symantec's [ Managed Service Provider (MSP) strategy ] makes it easier and more cost effective to deliver and manage security and backup solutions as managed services through integrations with leading remote monitoring and management (RMM) platforms and cloud-based offerings. Further, a recently enhanced [ SMB Specialization program ] enables all partners who achieve specialization in the security track, backup track, or both can attain maximum benefits such as free technical support and increased profits through substantial margin.

Symantec's partners continuously recognize its innovative partner program and support, an important validation that the company is meeting the needs of its partner community. Symantec received the 2012 [ ChannelPro-SMB Readers' Choice Award ] in the category of Best Security Vendor, which is awarded by the publication's readers -- VARs, MSPs, system integrators, custom builders, and IT consultants in the channel -- who selected the winners based on the vendor's ability to best satisfy the unique business requirements, work styles, and budgets of their SMB clients, as well as those that best serve their own partner organizations. In addition, [ Symantec was named a 2012 Channel Champion ], sweeping the Client Security and Backup/Recovery Software categories.

Supporting Quotes
"In today's connected world, small- and medium-sized businesses are especially vulnerable and need to consider how to best protect their technology and information," said Rowan Trollope, group president of SMB and .cloud, Symantec. "Some SMBs are protected, but many aren't. Complacency is one reason small businesses often fail to protect themselves, complexity is another. Whatever the reason, Symantec's new SMB team is working around the clock to protect the information that fuels the livelihood of this important community around the world."

"Our SMB partners are critical in helping Symantec expand our reach to today's information-savvy SMBs, providing them with the solutions they need to protect their information," said John Eldh, vice president of Channel Sales Americas, Symantec. "We are fully committed to enabling and supporting our ecosystem of partners, helping them position themselves as industry leaders and grow their business by providing integrated solutions that specifically address their SMB customers' data protection and management needs."

"We continue to be impressed with Symantec's SMB solutions," said Spencer Ferguson, President and CEO, Wasatch I.T. "Symantec Endpoint Protection 12 Small Business Edition and Backup Exec 2012 Small Business Edition have been well received by our customers. SMBs are looking for products that are easy to deploy and offer great protection and management features that will keep their critical business information safe. SMBs don't always have the time or resources to devote to IT, and these products from Symantec are easy for our customers to use, and offer the features they need to successfully run their business."

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About Symantec
Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at [ www.symantec.com ] or by connecting with Symantec at: [ go.symantec.com/socialmedia ]

NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec Corporation and its products, please visit the Symantec News Room at [ http://www.symantec.com/news ]. All prices noted are in U.S. dollars and are valid only in the United States.

Symantec and the Symantec Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Any forward-looking indication of plans for products is preliminary and all future release dates are tentative and are subject to change. Any future release of the product or planned modifications to product capability, functionality, or feature are subject to ongoing evaluation by Symantec, and may or may not be implemented and should not be considered firm commitments by Symantec and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decisions.

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Symantec Bolsters Commitment to SMB Customers and Partners

Symantec Bolsters Commitment to SMB Customers and Partners