As part of a deliberate strategy to stick to its digital media roots, Roxio
has sold off the assets of the GoBack system recovery
utility to Symantec Corp. in a deal valued at $13
million.
The Santa Clara, Calif.-based Roxio, which is busy preparing for the legitimate comeback of
the Napster music service, decided to shed the assets of GoBack and stick to
the core business of marketing digital media software.
For Symantec, which already had a deal with Roxio to resell the GoBack
utility, the deal adds an out-of-the box system recovery software to its
suite of Internet security products. GoBack retails for $29.95 and is
available as a boxed product or via online downloads.
With GoBack, Symantec acquires software that offers PC drive restoration,
protection from computer crashes and password-protection features.
Symantec will pay approximately $13 million in cash for GoBack. Terms of
the transaction call for $2.75 million of that amount to be held in escrow
for one year.
Roxio, known mostly for its CD/DVD burning software, acquired the
assets of the bankrupt Napster last November and will relaunch it as a
fee-based music service later this year.
The sale of GoBack follows the recent
launch of Roxio’s Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 Platinum, the first PC-based
integrated software with CD and DVD burning capabilities.
With GoBack, Symantec acquires software that offers PC drive restoration,
protection from computer crashes and password-protection features.
