Just last month, Symantec filled a gap in its security portfolio
by acquiring encryption vendor PGP. As Quocirca reported in an
earlier Big Picture posting,
The Big Yellow Monster Strikes Again, buying PGP took
Symantec a step closer to having a full security portfolio;
"entering the encryption market takes it [Symantec] a step
further, the largest remaining gap is now identity, access and
authentication".
Today, Symantec has started to fill that gap with the acquisition
of VeriSign's security business. This will provide "Big Yellow"
with wide-ranging, strong authentication capabilities covering
users, devices and web sites. The deal includes:
- Public key infrastructure (PKI) services
- Secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate services
- Trust Services
- Identity protection and authentication services
Symantec will still not have directory services, but given the
dominance of Microsoft's Active Directory in this area, Symantec
is probably better off recognising that fact and focussing on
providing authentication services for its customers as a front
end to Active Directory and directory services from other vendors
such as IBM, CA and Novell.
Does the fact that the monster has not finished the entire meal
this time mean it has indigestion? Not really, the other parts of
VeriSign are of little interest. Its internet infrastructure
services, including domain names services, are a specialist area
of little interest to Symantec and while VeriSign has other
security capabilities such as its Internet Defence Network, this
is an area where Symantec is already strong with its own Symantec
Protection Network.
Having said that, two acquisitions in such a short space of time
will keep Symantec busy; it will have lots of integration to do,
both organisational and technical. But Symantec has plenty of
experience of that.
