Symantec puts Altiris unit up for sale - WSJ

(Reuters) - U.S. security software company Symantec Corp has put its unit Altiris Inc up for sale and is drawing interest from private equity firms, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the situation.

The sale is expected to fetch less than the amount Altiris was bought for, the daily said. At the time of purchase in 2007, Symantec paid $33 a share, or $830 million.

"As such, we will have more information to share at our strategy announcement next week. In the meantime, Symantec does not comment on rumors or speculation with regards to M&A or divestiture activity," Symantec spokesman Cris Paden said in a statement to Reuters.

Altiris provides IT management software that helps companies manage "end point" connections such as laptops and mobile devices. (link.reuters.com/xaj35t)

(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad and Avik Das in Bangalore; Editing by Stephen Coates)