Symantec Corp. continued its recent run of acquisitions last week, announcing plans to buy BindView Development Corp., of Houston, for $209 million, or $4 per share.
The acquisition adds BindViews IT security compliance software to Symantecs enterprise software product line. However, at least one expert expressed concern over Symantecs ability to absorb yet another computer security company, following the acquisitions of Sygate Technologies Inc. in August and WholeSecurity Inc. last month.
BindView makes security compliance software that allows companies to create and enforce security policies on networked computers. Symantec already sells ESM (Enterprise Security Manager), an IT compliance software product. However, ESM requires a client to be installed on machines that it manages, whereas BindViews technology is agentless.
Symantec officials said they plan to combine BindViews technology with complementary products in Symantecs portfolio to create a comprehensive product for policy compliance and vulnerability management.
However, Symantec engineers will face a daunting task in integrating all the companys recent acquisitions, including anti-phishing technology from WholeSecurity Inc. and endpoint security products from Sygate, not to mention the monumental task of integrating Symantecs management products with backup technology from Veritas Software Corp., said analyst John Pescatore, of Gartner Inc., in Stamford, Conn.