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Symantec sources claim exec teams in place by April Fools' Day

Have you heard the one about the Veritas brand being dug up?

Symantec execs will line up under the classic security or information management divisions from April Fools’ Day – no, seriously – amid talk that senior management may revive the Veritas storage brand.

Weeks ago, El Chan revealed UK boss Simon Moor had upped sticks and left Huw Owen, head of EMEA, in temporary charge of local proceedings. Owen will eventually be regional sales veep for IM from April.

Owen’s opposite number for the classic security part of Symantec has yet to be named, but the company will have “all hands in place by the 1 April”, we are told by an insider.

“Generally, we will know who sits where," said a well-placed source.

As with HP, Symantec top brass decided last year they are unable to make a decent fist of going to market as one organisation, and will create two publicly listed independently traded organs by the end of 2015.

As well as the senior level movers and shakers, the company is also using the split as an opportunity to trim some costs, and reduce the cost burden shouldered by the new entities.

Brit staff in sales admin, telesales and renewals were put at risk of redundancy ten days ago, and are believed to number tens of thousands of individuals.

“As part of the separation of Symantec ... a number of roles were recently proposed for redundancy and some employees in the UK are part of a process of consultation,” a spokeswoman said

She refused to pass comment on “individuals or specific group” that may or may not be headed for the chopping block.

The Symantec brand will obviously be retained for the security business but multiple channel sources told us the have heard that management are considering resurrecting the Veritas tag for the IM wing.

“This could be seen as a step back in time,” said one Symantec partner, “but internally we still talk about the ‘old Veritas’ product set”. Another told us there was “still lots of love” for the name.

“Why spend tens of millions on brand consultants to create a rubbish brand no one has heard of?”

Symantec refused to comment on the April Fools’ Day timing or the potential to resuscitate the Veritas brand. ®

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