Symantec Launches New Global Sales Expert Training Program

Cost-Effective Sales Training Program Incorporates Partner Feedback and Allows for Increased Partner Revenue Opportunities

CUPERTINO, Calif. – July 24, 2006 -- Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced its global Symantec Sales Expert training program marking the latest enhancement to the unified Symantec Partner Program. Effective July 24, 2006, Symantec channel partners will have access to five new, complimentary sales training modules and assessments via Symantec’s online partner portal, PartnerNet, followed by 13 additional sets that will be released by August 4 through a phased approach to ensure quality and consistency as Symantec introduces the unified training program.

The first round of new training modules and assessments is part of an ongoing schedule of new training modules and assessments that will be available to partners on a quarterly basis via PartnerNet. The new training program offers a more streamlined process for partners to achieve sales accreditation on Symantec’s security and availability products. Upon successful completion of each assessment, partners will earn status as a Symantec Sales Expert (SSE), validating their extensive knowledge on that specific product offering.

“The new sales training modules are designed to impart product knowledge and best practices to help our partners succeed,” said Julie Parrish, vice president, Symantec Global Channel Office. “This new training and accreditation program leverages feedback from our partners to create a globally consistent framework for validating and rewarding their investment in our business. As a channel centric company we are continually striving to build upon our Symantec Partner Program to ensure that we bring increased revenue opportunities to our partners.”

Global Symantec Sales Expert Training Program
The cost-effective sales training program provides partners with accelerated training development and validation on point products. The training modules take into account learning style preferences in a flexible manner to support our partners’ regional requirements and market segmentation efforts. The training modules and assessments, which take approximately one hour to complete, will allow partners to build toward future equity and benefits in the Symantec Partner Program.

The first five training modules and assessments include Symantec Control Compliance Suite, Symantec Bindview Policy Manager, Symantec IM Manager, Symantec Mail Security for SMTP, and Symantec Configuration Manager. The additional training modules available to partners by August 4 include market leading products such as Symantec Antivirus, Symantec Client Security, Veritas NetBackup, Veritas Storage Foundation, Symantec Sygate Enterprise Protection, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, and more.

Partners confident in their knowledge and sales experience on a particular Symantec product can complete the online assessment without completing the training course to accelerate their time to accreditation as a SSE. Partners that have received accreditation from past product training and assessments can complete the new product assessment, once it becomes available, to receive accreditation as a SSE in the new program.

“The new sales modules will allow MSI Systems Integrators to be more efficient in the training process so we can continue to focus on boosting revenue by selling Symantec’s industry leading products to our customers,” said Doug Thompson, vice president of Strategic Alliances, MSI Systems Integrators. “As a Gold partner, we look forward to completing training courses and assessments and advancing our membership level to receive additional benefits.”

Partner Locator
In addition to the newly updated sales training program, Symantec has expanded its current Partner Locator eligibility to include Silver level partners. Symantec is currently preparing the Partner Locator Advanced Search option with information on customers’ business needs obtained from its 60,000 partners worldwide. With the Partner Locator Advanced Search option, which will launch later this year, customers will be able to easily narrow their search for partners by region, products, market focus, etc., thus providing partners with increased business opportunities.

Symantec Partner Program
In March 2006, Symantec launched its unified partner program and partner portal, PartnerNet, that streamlines and simplifies processes for its more than 60,000 global partners, while providing them with the resources to deliver value, meet their customer’s needs, and to expand their portfolio of market leading solutions. All current Symantec partners, including former VERITAS partners, were placed into the new partner program and mapped into one of the four membership levels -- Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Registered -- based on their activity in prior Symantec and VERITAS programs. Partners will continue to invest in driving revenue, market demand and increasing their technical competence in order to maintain or increase their membership level in the new program. Symantec plans to deliver an automated points-based system early next year to facilitate program tracking.

“We have received very positive feedback from both our partners and the channel industry on the Symantec Partner Program,” said Parrish. “Throughout the partner program integration process, our partners’ feedback was imperative in the success of the initial launch, and we will continue to incorporate their feedback to enhance and deliver a program that our partners find beneficial to the success of their business.”

About Symantec
Symantec is the world leader in providing solutions to help individuals and enterprises assure the security, availability, and integrity of their information. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has operations in more than 40 countries. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

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Contact Information

Genevieve Haldeman

Corporate Communications

Symantec Corp.

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