Symantec Hardwires Partners

Software security developer Symantec introduced a new partnership program to round out its security appliances, officials announced Tuesday.

The message security solutions compatibility track ensures that software used on Symantec’s security appliances is compatible with its own product line.

”By integrating select, complementary third-party products with our key messaging security solutions, Symantec and its technology partners can work together to improve security and compliance, simplify complexity and increase [return on investment] on security investments for our customers,” Manuel Gonzalez, Symantec director of business development, said in a statement.

Six vendors have joined the new Symantec Technology Partner Program subgroup: ZixCorp , PGP Corp., Avinti, Authentica, Voltage Security and Vontu.

With today’s partnerships in place, Symantec can deliver its Mail Security 8200-series servers with more than its stock anti-spam, antivirus and management applications.

Avinti, for example, makes a zero-day antivirus application that creates a virtual desktop to test and evaluate attachments to see if they try to run an unauthorized program. The company’s iSolation server adds to Symantec’s antivirus offering by going after the malware that hasn’t been detected yet or targets specific organizations.

”They’re validating the fact that this is a critical layer of protection which augments the existing tools that they have,” said Curtis Tirrell, Avinti vice president of marketing. “It allows customers to be able to have a level of comfort that the 8200-series appliance, for example, will work very compatibly with the Avinti iSolation server.”

Symantec, like many other software vendors, provides incentives to get third-party developers to integrate their software into the Symantec product line. It provides integration tools in the form of a Symantec AntiVirus scan engine SDK to make the third-party developers’ software compatible with Symantec’s line of software. It also offers development support. After certification, Symantec provides joint sales and marketing opportunities for the companies.

In some cases, Symantec provides more than just compatibility and marketing support. The company has invested in two of the vendors in today’s announcement, Authentica and Avinti, though officials wouldn’t comment on the extent of the investments.