Market leader protects MS Exchange mailboxes, folders and databases from both known and unknown viruses

SYDNEY --NSW - September 14, 1998 -- Symantec, the world leader in utility software for business and personal computing, has announced it is shipping Norton AntiVirus (NAV) for Microsoft Exchange Server, the latest addition to the company's suite of award-winning, comprehensive virus protection products. Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange works in real time to scan, detect, and repair viruses found in native Microsoft Exchange environments without inhibiting or degrading server performance or stability. Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange further strengthens the Norton AntiVirus Multi-tier solution, which offers complete protection from viruses and malicious code at every level of the corporate network: desktop, server, and gateway.

Fast Facts
pcTelecommute provides:

• NAV for Exchange works in real time to scan, detect, and repair viruses found in Exchange environments without inhibiting or degrading server performance or stability;
• OneScan eases administration by scanning message attachments only once;
• Administrators can use LiveUpdate to download up-to-the-minute definitions, protecting against the latest threats;
• NAV for Microsoft Exchange is available now and is priced at $1,539 per server with 20 users.

Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange includes Symantec's unsurpassed Bloodhound technology, which is able to detect and repair unknown viruses automatically. Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange provides complete administrative functions that allow users to remotely manage and control their Exchange anti-virus environment from anywhere.

"Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange was developed to provide administrators with a powerful tool for combating viruses that threaten the reliable exchange of corporate information," said Michelle Amery, general manger, Symantec Australia and New Zealand. "With Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange as well as Norton AntiVirus for Lotus Notes, organisations now have an effective virus protection strategy for their groupware environments." "Millions of people rely on Microsoft Exchange Server as their messaging backbone, enabling them to have strong collaborative application environments," said Jane Huxley, Server Applications Manager, Microsoft Australia. "Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange provides corporations with thorough and reliable enterprise-wide virus protection from one of the industry's most respected and trusted anti-virus vendors."

Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange uses Symantec's superior Bloodhound heuristic technology to detect as well as repair both unknown and known viruses at the groupware server before they reach the desktop or the network. Bloodhound works by setting up a virtual computer for a potentially infected application to run inside. As the application runs inside the virtual computer, Bloodhound watches it and categorises its behaviour. If the application acts like a virus and tries to infect other programs, Bloodhound arrests the program.

Norton AntiVirus for Exchange also includes Striker technology, for polymorphic virus protection and Macro Virus Protection (MVP) technology, for complete protection against invasive macro viruses. In addition, Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange scans and repairs compressed files as well as MIME and UUENCODE attachments. With the inclusion of these technologies, Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange leads the current anti-virus product field in detection and removal of file and macro viruses.

Administrators can use the management console in Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange for flexible, centralised virus administration that eliminates the need to move from one server to another to change a setting or monitor virus activity. In addition, installing and configuring Norton AntiVirus for MS Exchange on remote servers can be accomplished from a single central console via distribution utility software. Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange can also be administered through the easy-to-use HTML interface of Symantec's recently introduced Norton System Center. 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.

Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange allows Exchange administrators to deploy a comprehensive anti-virus solution while making their own jobs easier by simplifying key management routines such as configurations, multi-server installation, and virus definition distribution. With features such as e-mail and Windows NT alerting for repair and quarantine notification, HTML-based configuration and documentation, alerting of various relevant parties-including sender, recipient, and administrator-and comprehensive activity logs and statistics, administrators receive the information they need to help them maintain a virus-free environment.

Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange utilises several new features in order to impose minimal impact on server performance. A new feature called OneScan scans message attachments only once-regardless of the number of intended recipients. In addition, Norton AntiVirus scans messages with attachments upon receipt by the mail server via AutoProtect. AutoProtect does not scan again messages that are sitting in the mail server unless a user initiates a manual scan. To ensure that virus definitions are current, administrators can use LiveUpdate to download up-to-the-minute definitions and ensure that each server remains completely protected against the latest threats. These updates are automatically delivered and fully tested at all times.

Pricing and availability
Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange is available now and is priced at $1,539 per server with 20 users. Multiple License purchases are also available through Symantec's value license program.

System requirements
Norton AntiVirus for Microsoft Exchange requires an Intel system running Windows NT Server 3.51 with Service Pack 4 or Windows NT Server 4.0 with Service Pack 3, Microsoft Exchange Server version 4.0 or higher, 64MB of RAM minimum, 20MB of free hard disk space, and Netscape Navigator version 3.0 or Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.x or higher, Java-enabled.

Symantec AntiVirus Research Centre
Norton AntiVirus for MS Exchange is backed by the Symantec AntiVirus Research Centre (SARC). SARC is the industry's largest dedicated team of virus experts. With offices located in the Australia, the United States, Japan and the Netherlands, the sun never sets on SARC. The centre's mission is to provide swift, global responses to computer virus threats, proactively research and develop technologies that eliminate such threats, and educate the public on safe computing practices. As new computer viruses appear, SARC develops identification and detection for these viruses, and provides either a repair or delete operation, thus keeping users protected against the latest virus threats.

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.