Symantec expands university research program to U of Auckland B-school.

The University of Auckland, New Zealand's largest university, has become the first educational institution in the world to partner with Symantec (Nasdaq:SYMC) to build an information security laboratory on campus.

Symantec will provide The University of Auckland Business School with products and services to the value of $168,000, which includes leading edge Internet security products, a new server and Symantec software as well as technical support, updates and upgrades over the next five years. This semester, stage three Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Science students will be the first to use the laboratory.

"Businesses and universities worldwide are recognizing the fundamental importance of information security to the modern economy. This is an area where The University of Auckland Business School is determined to lead the field in both education and research," said Professor Barry Spicer, Dean of the University of Auckland Business School.

Spicer said the Internet security industry alone is worth $7 billion currently and is expected to grow to more than $12 billion by 2005. "The amount of business that it protects everyday is almost immeasurable."

John Schwarz, president and chief operating officer of Symantec Corp., visited Auckland recently to finalize the agreement and said, "This is another important step in Symantec's overall efforts to support and encourage universities around the world to produce more Internet security professionals and develop the talented workforce needed to create the technological advances of tomorrow."

"This initiative between Symantec and The University of Auckland Business School is a perfect example of the type of public/private partnership that is needed for our country to meet the challenges of today's cyber threats, be it in the area of security training, the development of additional research or the sharing of information between public and private entities regarding Internet security," said Richard Batchelar, Symantec Country Manager for New Zealand.

The partnership with Symantec is part of the university's $110 million project to develop a world class, international business school at The University of Auckland. The New Zealand Government will match donations dollar-for-dollar up to $25 million under the Partnership for Excellence program.

The money will be spent on attracting and retaining quality staff, supporting research activities, course and program development, and the construction of new world class facilities.

This arrangement follows Symantec's sponsorship of a Fellowship in the United States at the Purdue University's Centre for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) program. The Fellowship will be awarded to one student in April 2003 and will cover tuition costs for a student attending Purdue's two-year graduate program in Internet security, beginning in the second half of 2003.

Through the University Research Program, Symantec supports the efforts of these universities regarding the study of Internet security and encourages other universities to expand their research programs. Aside from monetary support through Fellowships, Symantec supports universities by offering corporate spokespersons for seminars and lectures to students and faculties. In addition, Symantec provides feedback on the research conducted by universities and input on areas that the industry deems important to help direct the focus of study by universities in Internet security issues.