NortonLifeLock has settled on a new company name after merging with antivirus provider Avast two months ago: Gen.
The full name is actually Gen Digital. But the company is already promoting itself as Gen through marketing materials and on its website. The term doesn’t exactly connote cybersecurity or antivirus. However, the newly merged company selected the name to underscore its focus on protecting “digital life.”
“We're all a part of a new generation, regardless of age. It's not Gen X, Y or Z, it's Generation Digital,” says CEO Vincent Pilette, who was previously the head of NortonLifeLock.
Gen will act as the parent company for several security-related brands including Norton, LifeLock, and Avast, in addition to Avira, AVG, and CCleaner, which were obtained in previous acquisitions.
But despite the new name, all the separate brands will continue to live on. “Yes, nothing will change on that front. The company name and logo change won’t impact their consumer brands,” a spokesperson for Gen told PCMag.
NortonLifeLock paid over $8 billion to acquire Avast, which is based in Czech Republic. The newly formed company is now focused on selling security and privacy services to a market of 5 billion internet users.
“For those who can remember, there was a time when you could pick up antivirus products at the store and install it on your computer. That was considered sufficient at the time, but the world has irrevocably changed with convenience and connection at our fingertips 24/7,” Gen’s executives wrote in a blog post.
Last year, executives at the company also told investors they're aiming on pulling $3.5 billion in annual revenue through the merger. Another focus is to develop security products for small businesses.