<http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/9682511.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp> The San Jose Mercury News Posted on Thu, Sep. 16, 2004 Symantec to acquire digital security company CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) - Symantec Corp. said Thursday it is acquiring digital security consulting firm stake Inc. Financial details were not disclosed. The deal is expected to close next month. Cupertino, Calif.-based Symantec is one of the world's biggest information security companies, selling consulting services and software such as the Norton AntiVirus program. The company does business with individuals and corporations in more than 35 countries. Cambridge, Mass.-based stake sells consulting services and computer programs to protect networks from hackers and other security risks. Businesses that have purchased the company's SmartRisk and other products include six of the world's top 10 financial institutions and four of the world's 10 top independent software companies. ``Our customers are looking to us for a broad range of security expertise,'' said Gail Hamilton, a Symantec executive vice president. ``By joining forces with the leader in application security consulting, we expand the capacity and capabilities of our consulting organization.'' Symantec shares rose 31 cents to close at $51.32 Thursday on the Nasdaq Stock Market. ------ On the Net: Symantec: http://www.symantec.com stake: http://www.atstake.com/ -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'