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Filed by Symantec Corporation
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the
Securities Act of 1933
Commission File No.: 000-17781
Subject Company: Symantec Corporation
THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE DISSEMINATED BY SYMANTEC CORPORATION ON OCTOBER
31, 2000.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: INVESTOR CONTACT:
Ted Price Helyn Corcos
Symantec Corporation Symantec Corporation
408-446-8816 408-446-8891
tprice@symantec.com hcorcos@symantec.com
Cynthia Smith Anita Willis-Boyland
AXENT Technologies, Inc. AXENT Technologies, Inc.
301-670-3579 301-670-3637
csmith@axent.com awillis-boyland@axent.com
SYMANTEC/AXENT SEC REVIEW COMPLETE
CUPERTINO, CALIF. - OCT. 31, 2000 - Symantec Corporation (Nasdaq: SYMC) and
AXENT Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: AXNT) today announced that the Securities and
Exchange Commission completed its review of the preliminary joint proxy
statement/prospectus relating to the acquisition of AXENT(R) by Symantec(R).
Symantec and AXENT anticipate that the joint proxy/prospectus will be
distributed to the stockholders of both companies on or before November 10,
2000. Completion of the transaction, expected by the end of calendar year 2000,
still requires satisfaction of certain conditions, including obtaining
stockholder approvals of both companies.
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The companies announced on July 27, 2000, that Symantec agreed to acquire AXENT
in a stock-for-stock transaction. Under the agreement, AXENT shareholders would
receive in a tax-free exchange 0.50 shares of Symantec common stock for each
share of AXENT common stock they own.
Investors and stockholders are urged to read the joint proxy
statement/prospectus regarding the business combination transaction referenced
above because it contains important information. The preliminary joint proxy
statement/prospectus was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by
Symantec and AXENT on September 20, 2000. Investors and stockholders may obtain
a free copy of the joint proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed by
Symantec and AXENT with the Commission at the Commission's web site at
www.sec.gov. The joint proxy statement/prospectus and these other documents may
also be obtained for free from Symantec by directing a request to Symantec
Corporation, 20330 Stevens Creek Boulevard, Cupertino, California 95014-2132,
Attention: Investor Relations, telephone: (408) 253-9600.
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ABOUT AXENT(R)
AXENT Technologies, Inc., a global leader in information security, provides
e-security solutions that maximize its customers' business advantage. AXENT
delivers integrated products and expert services to assess, protect, enable and
manage business processes and information assets, as well as to facilitate Trust
Level Management (TM) within its customers' environments. Through its unique
Lifecycle Security (TM) Methodology, combined with Smart Security Architecture,
AXENT delivers the "right" level of trusted e-security for customers.
Award-winning solutions offer assessment and policy compliance, firewall,
intrusion detection, authentication and authorization technology, virtual
private networking, Web access and single sign-on for enterprises and
e-businesses.
Headquartered in Rockville, MD, AXENT's customer-proven information security
solutions are used by 45 of the Fortune 50, one-third of the Fortune e-50, and
governments worldwide. Contact AXENT via e-mail at info@axent.com or visit
AXENT's World Wide Web site at http://www.axent.com.
ABOUT SYMANTEC
Symantec, a world leader in Internet security technology, provides a broad range
of content and network security solutions to individuals and enterprises. The
company is a leading provider of virus protection, risk management, Internet
content and e-mail filtering, remote management and mobile code detection
technologies to customers. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has
worldwide operations in more than 33 countries.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: If you would like additional information on Symantec
Corporation and its products, please view the Symantec Press Center at
http://www.symantec.com/PressCenter/ on Symantec's Web site.
Brands and products referenced herein are the trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders. All prices noted are in US dollars and
are valid only in the United States.
AXENT, AXENT Technologies, the AXENT logo, Enterprise Security Manager, trust
level management, and Lifecycle Security are trademarks or registered
trademarks, in the United States and certain other countries, of AXENT
Technologies, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Symantec is a registered trademark of
Symantec Corporation.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT: This press release contains forward-looking
statements that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements to differ materially from results expressed or implied by this
press release. Such risk factors include, among others: inability to obtain, or
meet conditions imposed for, governmental approvals for the merger with Axent;
failure of the Symantec or Axent stockholders to approve the merger; the risk
that the Symantec and Axent businesses will not be integrated successfully; the
costs related to the merger; and other economic, business, competitive and/or
regulatory factors affecting Symantec's business generally. Actual results may
differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements in this
press release. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors is
contained in the Risk Factors sections of the Company's previously filed Form
10-K for the year ended March 31, 2000 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June
30, 2000.