Information security giant Symantec will maintain its tactical alliances against junk e-mail even with spam-filtering specialist Brightmail in its fold.
This strategy was disclosed by David Sykes, senior director for Asia-Pacific enterprise sales at Symantec, after it announced last week that it had acquired Brightmail for US$370 million.
'I don't think this [merger] changes anything,' said Mr Sykes, referring to Symantec's alliance in Hong Kong with corporate e-mail security provider MessageLabs.
The two companies, rivals in managed security services, have jointly approached a number of large corporate clients over the past few months to offer a more comprehensive network protection package than any previously available on the local market.
Sources close to both companies have suggested the alliance could be the first step in a merger.
'At the end of the day, Symantec wants to deliver the best solutions available to our customers in each of the markets where we operate,' Mr Sykes said. 'Our unique co-operation with MessageLabs does not overlap with the Brightmail acquisition.'