Symantec, an international Internet security firm, is expanding its Middle East operation following rapid sales growth over the past year throughout the region, according to a company press release. The company is planning to build on its presence in Dubai with the addition of an office in Riyadh in the New Year, bringing the number of people employed in the region to more than 20.
“From our point of view, the Middle Eastern economy is holding up well despite the global downturn,” says Kevin Isaac, Symantec's regional director, Middle East & Africa. “Companies throughout the region are recognizing that the data they store on their networks is a business critical asset and one that is vital to protect against the ever present threat of viruses and hackers.”
The company attributed the sales growth to its strategy of making customer service its number one concern and its focus on expanding its presence in the enterprise customer space and on establishing leadership for serving consumers in the growing broadband access market.
NCR is a Symantec Enterprise Security Partner, providing a certified level of experience and technical expertise in security solutions to corporate clients. “Partnering with Symantec has enabled NCR IT Infrastructure Services to extend its Security Services portfolio to our customers in the region. Through NCR's regional presence and reach, Symantec has been able to expand its coverage in the Middle East over the past year,” says Nidal Abou Ltaif, NCR IT Infrastructure Service's director, Middle East, Eastern Europe & Africa.
“The appointment of Enterprise Security Partners is part of our longer term expansion plans in the Middle East as we continue to develop local skills,” says Isaac. “Such partners will have a proven track record in the Internet security market and will be certified to sell very high level Symantec products that other partners are not authorized to handle.”
Key to Symantec's strategy in the Middle East is to work closely with its current resellers and distributors to provide them with Internet security expertise and train them on security solutions. Currently the company is working closely with Executrain, a leading IT training company with operations throughout the region, on a program to train technicians from Symantec's Value Added Distributors and certify them as Symantec Security Engineers.
Over the last six months, Symantec has also expanded its team of Internet security specialists. In July this year, it acquired the enterprise security division of IT services company, Foster-Melliar in South Africa, to strengthen its security services operation in the region. “Symantec is now the only dedicated security vendor in the region able to provide both the technology and the professional and project management services to implement high level IT security projects at major corporations,” says Isaac.
Augmenting enterprise security solutions in anti-virus, firewalls and VPNs, intrusion detection, vulnerability assessment and professional services, Symantec is a provider of Internet security solutions for individuals and small business through its Norton range of products. Following the release of Windows XP, the company has launched a range of XP compatible programs including Norton AntiVirus 2002, Norton Internet Security 2002 and Norton SystemWorks 2002.
Symantec provides content and network security solutions to individuals and enterprises. The company is provider of virus protection, firewall and virtual private network, vulnerability management, intrusion detection, Internet content and e-mail filtering, remote management technologies and security services to enterprises around the world. Symantec's Norton brand of consumer security products leads the market in worldwide retail sales, according to a company press release. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Symantec has worldwide operations in 37 countries. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
