Norton System Center (NSC) easily distributes, maintains, and automatically updates Symantec products from a single, common console

SYDNEY --NSW - September 15, 1998 -- Symantec has announced Norton System Center (NSC), which offers network administrators flexible software administration and maintenance. The first release of Norton System Center supports the award-winning Norton AntiVirus. Subsequent releases will support other popular Symantec products such as Norton Utilities, Norton Your Eyes Only, and pcANYWHERE, making Norton System Center a single administrative solution for distributing, reporting, and alerting across a range of Symantec products.

Fast Facts

• Norton System Center (NSC) allows network adminstrators to easily and automatically deploy, configure, monitor, update and manage Symantec software;
• NSC is the first anti-virus administration solution integrated into the console framework of the Microsoft Management Console, and will be integrated into Tivoli TME's network management framework;
• Using an open-standards database, NSC enables administrators to create reports using their own applications and tools;
• The Norton System Center Scheduler provides centralised and automatic LiveUpdate capabilities.

"Small businesses are always looking for ways to improve their ability to communicate effectively with their customers," said Leigh Costin, Product Marketing Manager, Symantec Asia Pacific. "TalkWorks PRO 2.0 provides users with a complete set of communications functions that take this into account and ensure that no crucial call or fax is missed."

Norton System Center allows network administrators to easily and automatically deploy, configure, monitor, update, and comprehensively manage Symantec software. Norton System Center is the first anti-virus administration solution integrated into the highly flexible console framework provided by the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) version 1.0. Symantec also plans to integrate Norton System Center into Tivoli TME's network management framework.

"Symantec understands that network administrators have a difficult job," said Michelle Amery, general manager, Symantec Australia and New Zealand. "As a result, one of the most important criteria for evaluating corporate software is ease of administration and maintenance. With Norton System Center, network administrators now have the power and reliability of Symantec software, with unprecedented administrative ease." "Symantec has consistently demonstrated its visionary approach to answering customers' demands for anti-virus, security, and utilities software solutions, and we are pleased that it is continuing to provide cutting-edge technology through its support of our Zero Administration Windows (ZAW) initiative through Norton System Center," said Peter Moore, Product Marketing Manager, Business Systems Division, Microsoft Australia. "Integrating into MMC will help organisations lower their desktop administration costs, by providing centralised management of their desktop and server environment."

Centralised management
IS and network managers can use Norton System Center to reduce the costly overhead typically associated with installing, updating, and upgrading software, including virus definition updates. Administrators no longer have to go from system to system installing software to both servers and workstations. Norton System Center consolidates critical administration tasks into a single convenient console, thereby providing a cost-effective yet secure alternative to manual network administration.

Norton System Center's administration capabilities are based on agents which reside on target systems. These agents increase the automation of distribution of products, definitions, and configuration settings, thereby decreasing work for the administrator.

MMC integration
Unlike its competitors, Norton System Center uses a common console framework and is the first anti-virus administration solution to be implemented inside the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). MMC gives IS managers a well integrated, easy-to-use management console. MMC is part of Microsoft's Zero Administration Windows effort and will be built directly into Windows NT 5.0.

Open standards database
Norton System Center also uses a standard database to collect and store critical alert information coming from workstations and servers supported by Norton System Center. By utilising an open-standards database, Norton System Center enables administrators to create their own reports using their own set of applications and tools.

Other features
Norton System Center is built upon the highly successful Norton Software Distribution Utility 2.0. The product uses the Norton System Center Scheduler to provide centralised and automatic LiveUpdate capabilities. LiveUpdate packages are brought down to the Norton System Center console from the Symantec site and are distributed to client systems on a scheduled basis. Norton Event Manager includes event processing and centralised alerting capabilities. Administrators can forward alerts from Symantec products to one or more Windows NT servers. Administrators can send SNMP alerts to third-party alerting systems, such as Tivoli TME or HP OpenView.

Norton System Center currently provides agent support for Windows NT 3.51/4.0 server and workstation; Windows 95 and Windows 98; NEC PC-98, one of the dominant platforms in Japan; and NT Alpha systems. Support for NetWare servers as well as Lotus Notes will be available at the end of the year.

Price and availability
Norton System Center is available now. Norton System Center is included on the Symantec Norton AntiVirus Solutions CD and will be incorporated into other Symantec solution suites in the future. Policy holders of Norton AntiVirus Upgrade Insurance will automatically receive it as part of this program.

Pricing for Norton System Center is included in the license-based pricing of Symantec's Norton AntiVirus Solution and suite based pricing. The Microsoft Management Console version 1.0 is also included on the Norton AntiVirus Solutions CD.

Requirements
Norton System Center console requires an Intel system running Windows NT 4.0 workstation or server with Service Pack 3 or higher, Microsoft Management Console version 1.0 or higher, 64MB of RAM minimum, 11MB of free hard disk space (an additional 32MB or greater is required for the product repository), and Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.01 or higher.

Norton System Center client agents require a system with 8MB of RAM minimum and 200KB of free hard disk space. Operating Systems supported are Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation 3.51 (with SP5) or 4.0 (with SP3), and Windows NT Server 3.51 (with SP5) or 4.0 (with SP3). Platforms supported are Intel, Alpha, and NEC PC-98. Support for additional Operating Systems and platforms are planned for future releases of Norton System Center.

About Symantec
Symantec Corporation helps make computer users productive and keep their systems safe and reliable anywhere, anytime. The company is focused on addressing customer needs in three main application areas: the Norton product line of anti-virus and PC-assistance products; the pcAnywhere, WinFax and ACT! product lines that cater to remote user productivity; and the Cafe product lines in Internet development tools.

Founded in 1982, Symantec maintains corporate headquarters in Cupertino, California with regional offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Hong Kong, Beijing, Taiwan, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore and Malaysia. Traded on Nasdaq under the symbol SYMC, Symantec is ranked in the top ten international software vendors and employs more than 2,000 people worldwide. Information on the company and its products can be obtained at the Symantec Asia-Pacific Press Centre on the World Wide Web at http://www.symantec.com/region/au_nz/PressCenter/index.html.

All information contained in press release is accurate and valid at of the date of issue. All content is subject to change. For the latest information about Symantec Corporation and Symantec products, please contact: www.symantec.com.