Symantec revealed that the acquisition of Altiris is drawing nearer following the early termination of the waiting period imposed by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. The $830 million deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2007. The acquisition still requires satisfaction of certain conditions. They now need Altiris shareholder consent which should happen during the company's sharehol Symantec revealed that the acquisition of Altiris is drawing nearer following the early termination of the waiting period imposed by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. The $830 million deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2007. The acquisition still requires satisfaction of certain conditions. They now need Altiris shareholder consent which should happen during the company’s shareholder meeting on April 4, and they also require regulatory approval in Germany. Once that happens, the deal is expected to close and the companies will move quickly to complete the merger. The question that remains in my mind is which Altiris products will remain? Are any on Symantec’s chopping block? Specifically, I wonder what Symantec’s plans are for Altiris Software Virtualization Solution (SVS). Do they know what they have in this product or is it being overlooked? As an example, Altiris continues to move forward with product announcements in spite of the impending acquisition. Recently, the company announced a new product called Altiris Application Compatibility Suite which is a bundle of solutions that help IT departments diagnose and mitigate most Microsoft Windows Vista application compatibility challenges. The following Altiris solutions are included in the new suite: Altiris Application Control Solution software helps preserve the security benefits of user account control while creating an efficient and user-friendly application environment within Windows Vista. Altiris Software Virtualization Solution technology virtualizes trusted applications and places them in a virtual, protected area of Windows, allowing applications to continue to function as originally intended. Wise Package Studio software helps organizations package or re-package existing applications as a Windows Installer (MSI) package to help deliver optimal Windows Vista installations. Wise Package Studio also provides certain Windows Vista compatibility testing for application components. Steve Morton, Altiris VP of product management and marketing, said, “Altiris is working to provide the most comprehensive set of solutions available to help businesses migrate to Windows Vista as easily and effectively as possible.” The software suite is expected to be available in the second calendar quarter of 2007. Software Development