SAN FRANCISCO (04/09/2008) -- Symantec plans to buy AppStream, a seller of software that delivers applications to the corporate desktop on demand.

Symantec has been selling the AppStream software with its Software Virtualization Solution Pro product since 2006, and the acquisition will help the company compete with such products as Microsoft's SoftGrid and the Thinstall (recently acquired by VMware) Virtualization Suite. (View slideshow of 2008's hottest M&A deals.)

Based in Palo Alto, Calif., AppStream's software manages desktop applications from a central server, delivering only the components the user needs, at the same time making it easier for IT staff to manage the software.

The acquisition is expected to close by the end of June. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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