Symantec is to acquire its OEM partner AppStream for an undisclosed sum. AppStream is a software as a service (SaaS) that provides on demand streaming applications to desktop PCs and license management tools.

Senior research analyst at Butler Group, Roy Illsley, said the AppStream acquisition builds in to Symantec’s Altiris software management product, and will deliver a wider choice of application provisioning and deployment options to Symantec customers.

“Quite often customers interested in virtualisation are new to the technology and to vendors, so if they are going to do desktop virtualisation and application deployment, they really want to go to the same vendor,” he said.

Symantec has not yet outlined exactly how it will integrate AppStream’s technology into its existing products and services, but the acquisition provides the potential for the company to offer SaaS and streaming virtual desktops to its customers.

If it does so, Symantec will compete with a number of other vendors that are busy trying to establish themselves in the application/desktop virtualisation space, including Citrix, VMWare and Microsoft.

Microsoft announced it will acquire desktop virtualisation firm Kidaro last month, whilst Sun Microsystems agreed to buy desktop virtualisation specialist Innotek in February this year.