Network Associates CEO George Samenuk says international growth will be the security-software maker's focus in the future as it enjoys a "sweet spot" in the Asia-Pacific market.
Speaking at a news conference, Samenuk said his company, a majority owner of antivirus company McAfee.com, hopes to achieve a 50-50 split between its US and international businesses eventually.
Network Associates derived 67 percent of its sales from the United States and 33 percent of revenue from international operations in the January-to-March quarter of 2001.
"We are placing more emphasis, money and talent on growing our international revenues," he said.
Although the slow economies in the Asia-Pacific region have resulted in some deferral in information technology spending, network management and security services are still in demand.
"Customers are not putting in new bandwidths, but making existing bandwidths more productive, so we are in the sweet spot of the technology world right now," Samenuk said.
Network Associates plans to spend more than 20 percent of sales in research and development in its global markets in the coming months, Samenuk said.
The company's key markets comprise the technologically more mature countries of Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as emerging markets like China and India.
The company has said it expects to post US$810 million to US$840 million in revenue in 2001, against US$745 million last year.
It reported a first-quarter pro forma net loss, excluding charges, of US$24.3 million, or 17 cents per share, against a profit of US$30 million, or 20 cents per share, a year ago. The company has said it expects to return to the black later this year.
