Symantec has reportedly disolved a joint venture Huawei
Technologies, as Symantec feared the alliance with the
Chinese company would prevent it from obtaining United
States government classified information about
cyberthreats.
Huawei Technologies and Symantec teamed up four years ago
to develop computer network security products.
Citing unamed sources,
The New York Times reported
today that Symantec's decision was "a pre-emptive
political maneuver timed to coincide with the United
States government's efforts to share more classified
cyberthreat information with the private sector." The
report added that Huawei had already laid off several
workers in Huawei Symantec's Silicon Valley offices this
month and planned to move its entire operation out of the
United States, largely because of increased American
government oversight.
In the next two weeks, Symantec is expected to sell its
49 percent stake in the venture to Huawei for $530
million.
A U.S. information-sharing pilot program called the
'Joint Cybersecurity Services Pilot' is expected to offer
information to military and antivirus companies, like
Symantec, and network providers.