thumb|Gen Digital co-headquarters in Tempe, Arizona
thumb|Gen Digital co-headquarters at the Enterprise Office Center building in Prague, Czech Republic
Gen Digital, formerly known as Symantec and NortonLifeLock, is a multinational computer software company founded on March 1, 1982. It is an international corporation that specializes in selling security and information management software. Gary Hendrix founded the company in 1982 with the help of a National Science Foundation grant. Symantec was originally focused on artificial intelligence-related projects, and Hendrix hired several Stanford University natural language processing researchers as the company's first employees. After the company's initial public offering in 1989, Hendrix left the company in 1991 and moved to Texas. The company has acquired 57 companies, purchased stakes in 2 firms, and divested 26 companies, in which parts of the company are sold to another company. Of the companies that Symantec has acquired, 50 were based in the United States. Symantec has not released the financial details for most of these mergers and acquisitions.
Symantec's first acquisition was C&E Software on January 1, 1984, and the founder of C&E Software, Gordon Eubanks, became the new chief executive officer of Symantec. The company has made five acquisitions with a value greater than $1 billion: LifeLock was acquired on Feb 9, 2017 for $2.3 billion, Blue Coat Systems was acquired on Aug 1, 2016 for $4.65 billion, VeriSign was acquired on May 19, 2010, for $1.250 billion, Altiris was acquired on April 6, 2007, for $1.038 billion, and Symantec purchased Veritas Software on July 2, 2005, for $13 billion. The deal with Veritas was Symantec's largest acquisition and made Symantec the fifth-largest software company in the world. Symantec made the most acquisitions in 2004 with six: ON Technology, Brightmail, TurnTide, @stake, LIRIC Associates, and Platform Logic. The company divested its enterprise-security software business to Broadcom for $10.7 billion in 2019 and adopted the NortonLifeLock name. On November 7, 2022, NortonLifeLock rebranded to Gen Digital after completed its merger with Avast in last September.
Acquisitions
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Date
! Company
! Business
! Country
! Value (USD)
! Adjusted (USD)
!class="unsortable"| References
|-
|
| C&E Software
| Software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Living Videotext
| Software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Think Technologies
| Software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Peter Norton Computing
| Computer software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Zortech International
| Compiler software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Dynamic Microprocessor Associates
| Computer software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Leonard Development Group
| Computer programming
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Symantec UK
| Wholesale software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| MultiScope
| Debugging software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Whitewater Group
| Programming tools
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Certus International
| Anti-virus software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Contact Software International
| Management software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Fifth Generation Systems
| Utilities software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| NetDistributor
| Software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Trik-Distributor Mgmt Utility
| Management software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| DataEase Intl Inc-Cert Tech
| Software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Quest Development
| Data management software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Central Point Software
| Utility software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| SLR Systems
| Software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Intec Systems
| Mobile computing
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Sytron
| Computer peripheral
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Delrina
| Software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Fast Track
| Open network design
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Eastman Software-Storage Mgmt
| Storage migration technology
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Binary Research
| Disk cloning technology
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Intel Corp-Anti Virus Business
| Anti-virus software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Quarterdeck
| Utilities and community software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Urlabs
| Internet software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| L-3 Commun Network Security
| Security solutions
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| AXENT Technologies
| Security solutions
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Lindner & Pelc Consult
| Computer consulting
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Mountain Wave
| Enterprise security management
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| SecurityFocus
| Cyber Intelligence
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Recourse Technologies
| Internet security
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Riptech
| Managed security
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Roxio-Goback Sys Recovery Ast
| System recovery
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Nexland
| Internet access
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| SafeWeb Inc
| Security and privacy
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| PowerQuest
| Software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| ON Technology
| Network security software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Brightmail
| Anti-spam software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| TurnTide
| Anti-spam software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| @stake
| Digital security
|
| style="text-align:center;"| $24,000,000
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| LIRIC Associates
| Computer consulting
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Platform Logic
| Software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| XtreamLok
| Information Security
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Veritas Software
| Business applications software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| WholeSecurity
| Security software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Sygate Technologies
| Software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| BindView
| Network management software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| IMlogic
| IM protection software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Relicore
| Management software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Revivio
| Continuous data protection
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Company-i
| Information technology
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| 4FrontSecurity
| Risk management
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Altiris
| IT management software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Vontu
| Data security software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| SwapDrive
| Web-based software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| nSuite Technologies
| Desktop virtualization
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| PC Tools
| Utility software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| MessageLabs
| SaaS Security Provider
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Mi5 Networks
| Web Security Gateway
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| SoftScan
| SaaS Security Provider
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Gideon Technologies
| Information security
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| PGP Corporation
| Data Encryption
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| GuardianEdge
| Endpoint Data Protection
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| RuleSpace security business
| Web content categorization
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Clearwell Systems
| eDiscovery
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| LiveOffice
| SaaS Archiving
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Odyssey Software
| Mobile Device Management
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Nukona
| Mobile Application Management
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| VeriSign Japan KK
| IT Security Software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| PasswordBank
| Identity Management
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| NitroDesk
| Mobile Data Protection
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Blackfin Security
| Cyber Security Training
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Blue Coat Systems
| Cyber Security
|
| align="right"| $
| align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| LifeLock
| Identity Theft Protection
|
| align="right"| $
| align="right"| $
|style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Watchful Software
| IT Security Software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Fireglass
| Malware Prevention
|
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Skycure
| Mobile Threat Defense
|
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Appthority
| Mobile Application Security
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Javelin Networks
| Active Directory Security
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Luminate
| Secure Application Access
|
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Avira
| Computer security software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Avast
| Computer security software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| $8,000,000,000
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|}
Investments
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Date
! Company
! Business
! Country
! Value (USD)
! Adjusted (USD)
!class="unsortable"| References
|-
|
| Mocana
| Security
| United States
|align="right"| N/A
|align="right"| N/A
| style="text-align:center;"|
|}
Stakes
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Date
! Company
! Business
! Country
! Value (USD)
! Adjusted (USD)
!class="unsortable"| References
|-
|
| Brightmail
| Anti-spam software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Huawei Tech Co Ltd-Telecom
| Telecommunications
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|}
Divestitures
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Date
! Acquirer
! Target company
! Target business
! Acquirer country
! Value (USD)
! Adjusted (USD)
!class="unsortable"| References
|-
|
| NMB
| Seagate Technology-Composite
| Recording heads
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Carolian Systems International
| Delrina
| Software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| IBM
| Delrina
| Software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Zortech
| Symantec
| Software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Read-Rite
| Conner Peripherals-Film Ops
| Computer disk film
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| —
| Delrina
| Software
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| RR Donnelley Norwest
| Central Point Software
| In-house manufacturing
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Overland Data
| Conner Peripherals Inc-Cipher
| Cipher tape drive
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| DOVatron International
| Conner Periph SG-Surf Asm Elec
| Disk drives
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| CenterLine Software
| Veritas Software Corp-Vista
| Software tools
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Quarterdeck Office Systems
| StarNine
| Internet services provider
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Investor Group
| Time Line Solutions
| Computer-based management
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Creative Wonders
| Delrina
| Computer software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| JetForm
| Delrina Corp-Electronic Forms
| Database software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Elron Electronic Industries
| ON Technology-Network Mgmt
| Network management software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Elron Software
| ON Technology Corp-Network
| Network security software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Platinum Equity
| StarNine Technologies
| Internet services provider
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| SalesLogix
| Symantec Corp-ACT! Software
| Information management
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Seagate Technology
| Seagate Software
| Wholesale software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Investor Group
| Seagate Technology-Disk-Drive
| Disk drives and storage devices
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Black Box Corporation
| Intec Systems
| Mobile computing
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Sonic Solutions
| Veritas-Desktop, Mobile Div
| Software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| TechTarget
| myITforum
| Web portal
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Symantec
| Symantec
| Internet software
|
|align="right"| $
|align="right"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Vector Capital
| Symantec Corp-Application
| Internet software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Electronic Evidence Discovery
| Daticon
| Litigation software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| The Carlyle Group
| Veritas Technologies
| data management software
|
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"| —
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
|
| Broadcom
| Symantec enterprise security
| enterprise security
|
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"| $
| style="text-align:center;"|
|}