Symantec grabs IMlogic

Security giant Symantec has leapt into the fast-growing market for protecting instant messaging systems, announcing it has agreed to acquire IMlogic, one of the sector's top players.

IMlogic provides software which promises to safeguard public and corporate IM networks while providing companies with a means to monitor and archive IM traffic.

Security companies are increasingly turning their attention to instant messaging as it grows in popularity. In November, hosted email and web security firm MessageLabs acquired privately held OmniPod, which operates a hosted and secure IM platform.

Carlin Wiegner, a senior director of web security at Symantec, said: "We took a look at the trend of IM and found that an amazing number of corporations were using it. We decided that it was going to be big but the problem there is it still has the same risks as email."

IMlogic said on Tuesday that IM networks saw an 826 per cent rise in security attacks last month, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Financial terms of the deal were not released but Wiegner confirmed it is an all-cash transaction which is expected to close later this quarter.

Not only does privately held IMlogic give Symantec a presence in IM security, it also signals that the company's binge continues. In the past two years, Symantec has bought BindView, Brightmail, Liric, Sygate, Turntide, WholeSecurity and storage giant Veritas Software.

In October, a senior executive told silicon.com the company intends to continue at a rate of six to eight acquisitions each year with a major deal coming every 18 months.

Greg Sandoval writes for CNET News.com