Just last month, Symantec filled a gap in its security portfolio by acquiring encryption vendor PGP. As Quocirca reported in an earlier Big Picture posting, The Big Yellow Monster Strikes Again, buying PGP took Symantec a step closer to having a full security portfolio; "entering the encryption market takes it [Symantec] a step further, the largest remaining gap is now identity, access and authentication".

Today, Symantec has started to fill that gap with the acquisition of VeriSign's security business. This will provide "Big Yellow" with wide-ranging, strong authentication capabilities covering users, devices and web sites. The deal includes:

• Public key infrastructure (PKI) services
• Secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate services
• Trust Services
• Identity protection and authentication services

Symantec will still not have directory services, but given the dominance of Microsoft's Active Directory in this area, Symantec is probably better off recognising that fact and focussing on providing authentication services for its customers as a front end to Active Directory and directory services from other vendors such as IBM, CA and Novell.

Does the fact that the monster has not finished the entire meal this time mean it has indigestion? Not really, the other parts of VeriSign are of little interest. Its internet infrastructure services, including domain names services, are a specialist area of little interest to Symantec and while VeriSign has other security capabilities such as its Internet Defence Network, this is an area where Symantec is already strong with its own Symantec Protection Network.

Having said that, two acquisitions in such a short space of time will keep Symantec busy; it will have lots of integration to do, both organisational and technical. But Symantec has plenty of experience of that.