Veritas Technologies
American enterprise data management software company specializing in backup, recovery, storage management, and information governance.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Veritas Technologies is an American enterprise software company whose roots extend to Tolerant Systems, founded in 1983 by former Intel engineers Eli Alon and Dale Shipley. The business initially pursued fault-tolerant computing systems, but later shifted toward software for Unix storage management. Its early technologies included checkpointing, journaling file systems, and virtual disk management. These capabilities became the foundation for products such as the Veritas File System and Veritas Volume Manager, which were supplied through original-equipment and operating-system relationships to major server manufacturers. The company developed under the Veritas name during the 1990s and expanded through acquisitions. Its 1995 purchase of Tidalwave Technologies added high-availability software capabilities. The 1997 acquisition of OpenVision Technologies brought the NetBackup business into the company and established Veritas as a major provider of enterprise backup software. In 1999, Veritas acquired the network and storage-management business of Seagate Software, including Backup Exec. These transactions broadened its portfolio from Unix storage infrastructure into backup, recovery, availability, and data management for corporate computing environments. Veritas became a public company in 1993 and experienced rapid growth during the second half of the decade. It was added to the S&P 500 in 2000 and became one of the largest independent software companies by revenue and market value. The company also expanded into related fields, including high availability, application performance management, optical-disc recording, replication, clustering, archiving, and compliance. In 2003, it acquired Precise Software Solutions, strengthening its application-performance-management activities. In December 2004, Veritas and Symantec announced a merger valued at approximately $13.5 billion. The transaction closed in July 2005, and Veritas became part of Symantec. For nearly a decade, its technologies operated within Symantec's broader security and information-management portfolio. In 2014, Symantec announced that it would separate its security operations from its information-management business. The latter was re-established as Veritas Technologies, with operational separation completed in 2015 and the transaction with The Carlyle Group completed in January 2016. Veritas consequently returned to private ownership and adopted a renewed standalone identity. After the separation, Veritas focused on enterprise data protection, availability, resilience, archiving, governance, and analytics across on-premises, virtual, hybrid-cloud, and software-as-a-service environments. NetBackup and Backup Exec remained central offerings, while products such as Enterprise Vault, InfoScale, APTARE, Data Insight, CloudPoint, Veritas Alta, and related appliances addressed broader data-lifecycle and infrastructure requirements. The company also acquired Globanet in 2020, adding capabilities associated with communications compliance, archiving, and information governance. In 2024, Cohesity agreed to acquire Veritas's data-protection and data-security business, including NetBackup and Veritas Alta. The transaction was reported as valuing the transferred Veritas business at approximately $3 billion within a broader deal valued at about $7 billion, and it was completed in December 2024. Businesses not included in the transaction, including Backup Exec, InfoScale, and certain compliance and governance activities, were separated into Arctera. As a result, the Veritas Technologies name became associated with a corporate and portfolio transition rather than a single unchanged operating company. The brand's historical significance remains tied to enterprise backup, storage management, and data resilience software.
History
Veritas Technologies originated in Tolerant Systems, a company established in 1983 by Eli Alon and Dale Shipley, both of whom had worked at Intel. Tolerant initially pursued fault-tolerant computer systems built from modular processing units. Its technology used checkpointing and rollback concepts so that applications could recover from hardware failures. The company also developed early forms of journaling and redundant disk management. In 1988, Dale Shipley formed Tolerant Software, which redirected the business toward Unix software. A new engineering group led by John Carmichael developed a journaling file system and a virtual disk-management system for AT&T Unix. These products became the Veritas File System, commonly known as VxFS, and Veritas Volume Manager, or VxVM. Through relationships with AT&T and server manufacturers such as Sun and Hewlett-Packard, Veritas used an OEM-led model in which its technologies were incorporated into larger Unix offerings. The company went public on December 9, 1993. It then began a period of expansion into high availability and backup. In 1995, it acquired Tidalwave Technologies, a transaction that added cross-platform high-availability software. In 1997, Veritas acquired OpenVision Technologies. Although the transaction included several activities, its most strategically important contribution was the NetBackup business, which established Veritas as a major enterprise-backup provider. Veritas expanded further in 1999 by acquiring the network and storage-management business of Seagate Software. This transaction included Backup Exec, a widely deployed backup product for small and medium-sized businesses and departmental environments. The acquisition materially broadened Veritas's market coverage, complementing NetBackup's enterprise orientation with a product that served smaller organizations and distributed infrastructure. The late 1990s and early 2000s were marked by rapid growth. Veritas reported revenue of approximately $36 million at the end of 1996, around $700 million in 1999, and approximately $1.2 billion in 2000. It was added to the S&P 500 in 2000 and became one of the world's most prominent storage-management software companies. Although the technology downturn following the internet bubble affected the industry, Veritas continued to report growth and reached approximately $1.5 billion in revenue in 2001, according to historical accounts cited in reference material. The company continued broadening its portfolio beyond file systems and backup. Its products included Cluster Server, Volume Replicator, Enterprise Vault, storage appliances, compliance tools, data analytics, and application-performance-management software. In 2003, Veritas acquired Precise Software Solutions, an Israeli application-performance-management company, for a transaction reported at approximately $609 million in cash and stock. On December 16, 2004, Veritas and Symantec announced a merger valued at approximately $13.5 billion. Shareholders approved the transaction in June 2005, and it closed on July 2, 2005. Veritas's products and operations became part of Symantec, which combined information management with its established security business. In October 2014, Symantec announced a plan to divide its operations into two companies. The security business retained the Symantec identity, while the information-management business was designated Veritas Technologies. Operational separation took place in October 2015. The Carlyle Group agreed to purchase the Veritas business, and the transaction closed in January 2016, making Veritas privately held. The standalone company adopted a new visual identity and sought to operate with a more customer-focused, growth-oriented culture. Its headquarters moved to Santa Clara, California, during the subsequent standalone period. As an independent company, Veritas emphasized data protection across physical, virtual, cloud, and software-as-a-service environments. NetBackup served large enterprises, while Backup Exec addressed smaller and mid-sized deployments. Other activities covered archiving, e-discovery, compliance, data insight, storage resilience, application availability, and infrastructure analytics. The 2020 acquisition of Globanet strengthened the company's communications-compliance and information-governance capabilities. The company's ownership and portfolio changed again in 2024. Cohesity agreed to acquire Veritas's data-protection and data-security unit, including NetBackup and Veritas Alta. The transaction was completed in December 2024. Businesses that were not part of the Cohesity transaction, including Backup Exec, InfoScale, and selected compliance and governance operations, were separated into Arctera. Consequently, the historical Veritas portfolio was divided between the Cohesity organization and the newly separated Arctera business, leaving the continuing legal and brand status of Veritas Technologies subject to the post-transaction structure.
- 2024
Data-protection business transferred to Cohesity
[1]Cohesity completes the acquisition of Veritas's data-protection and data-security operations, while other businesses are separated into Arctera.
- 2020
Globanet acquisition
[1]Veritas acquires Globanet to expand communications compliance and information-governance capabilities.
- 2016
Veritas returns to private ownership
[1]The Carlyle Group completes its acquisition of the Veritas information-management business.
- 2014
Symantec announces corporate separation
[1]Symantec announces that its information-management business will be separated and relaunched as Veritas Technologies.
- 2005
Merger with Symantec closes
[1]Veritas becomes part of Symantec after shareholders approve and complete the previously announced merger.
- 2003
Precise Software Solutions acquisition
[1]The acquisition expands Veritas's application-performance-management capabilities.
- 2000
S&P 500 inclusion
[1]Veritas is added to the S&P 500 during a period of rapid growth in storage-management software.
- 1999
Seagate storage-management acquisition
[1]Veritas acquires Seagate Software's network and storage-management group, including Backup Exec.
- 1997
OpenVision Technologies acquisition
[1]Veritas acquires OpenVision Technologies and obtains the NetBackup business, strengthening its enterprise backup position.
- 1995
Tidalwave Technologies acquisition
[1]The acquisition adds cross-platform high-availability software.
Products and positioning
Enterprise data protection, availability, resilience, archiving, and information-governance provider.
Enterprise backup and recovery
NetBackup
NetBackup is Veritas's flagship enterprise backup and recovery platform. It was obtained through the 1997 OpenVision acquisition and became a central product for protecting large-scale physical, virtual, and cloud workloads. Its historical role included backup orchestration, recovery, replication-related workflows, and policy-based management across heterogeneous infrastructure. In 2024, the NetBackup business was included in Cohesity's acquisition of Veritas's data-protection and data-security operations.
Small and midsize-business backup
Backup Exec
Backup Exec is a backup and recovery product aimed principally at small and midsize organizations, departmental environments, and distributed IT infrastructure. Veritas acquired the business from Seagate Software in 1999. It complemented NetBackup by serving customers that required a more accessible administration model and a smaller-scale deployment footprint. Backup Exec was among the activities excluded from the 2024 transfer to Cohesity and was associated with the business separated into Arctera.
Journaling file system
Veritas File System
Veritas File System, commonly known as VxFS, is a journaling file system developed for Unix environments. It was one of the company's foundational storage-management technologies and was supplied through relationships involving AT&T and major server and operating-system vendors. The product helped establish Veritas's expertise in filesystem reliability, recoverability, and management of enterprise storage.
Storage and volume management
Veritas Volume Manager
Veritas Volume Manager, or VxVM, provides logical management of physical storage volumes in Unix and related enterprise environments. It formed part of the company's early storage-management portfolio and supported capabilities such as volume administration, disk organization, and resilience-oriented storage configurations. Its technology was distributed through original-equipment and operating-system relationships.
Availability and storage management
Veritas InfoScale
Veritas InfoScale is a portfolio for application availability, storage management, clustering, and resilient infrastructure. It developed from the company's long-standing file-system, volume-management, and clustering technologies and addressed demanding enterprise environments, including virtualized and cloud-linked infrastructure. InfoScale was not included in Cohesity's 2024 acquisition of the data-protection unit and was associated with the business separated into Arctera.
Archiving and information governance
Enterprise Vault
Enterprise Vault is an archiving and information-governance platform designed to retain, manage, search, and control access to enterprise information. It addressed email and other communication or content repositories, supporting retention policies, discovery, compliance, and storage optimization. The product represented Veritas's expansion beyond backup into the longer-term governance and lifecycle management of corporate data.
Cloud data management
Veritas Alta
Veritas Alta was the company's cloud-oriented data-management portfolio, covering protection and related services for cloud and software-as-a-service environments. It reflected Veritas's shift from traditional data-center backup toward hybrid and multi-cloud operating models. Veritas Alta was included in the data-protection and data-security operations acquired by Cohesity in 2024.
High availability and clustering
Veritas Cluster Server
Veritas Cluster Server, also known as VCS, is high-availability and clustering software for keeping applications and services operational across failures. It belongs to the company's long-running availability portfolio, which grew from acquisitions and early work in fault-tolerant computing. The technology was used to coordinate application failover and infrastructure resources in enterprise environments.
IT infrastructure analytics
APTARE IT Analytics
APTARE IT Analytics provided reporting, monitoring, and analytical views across storage and data-protection environments. It was intended to help enterprises understand capacity, operational performance, utilization, and policy effectiveness. The product extended Veritas's role from executing backup and storage operations to supplying management information for planning and governance.
Optical-disc recording software
Drive Letter Access
Drive Letter Access was a packet-writing application for Windows that allowed compatible optical drives to be used in a manner similar to removable disks. It supported the UDF file system and was distributed widely through OEM relationships with computer and optical-drive manufacturers. The technology was later sold to Sonic Solutions and became obsolete as newer Windows versions and optical-disc software replaced it.
Controversies
1999
U.S. tax cost-sharing litigation
A cost-sharing agreement between Veritas Software and Veritas Ireland became the subject of litigation with the United States Internal Revenue Service. The dispute concerned the company's tax arrangements and is documented as litigation rather than as a finding of wrongdoing in the supplied reference material.
Brand decisions
2024
Transfer data-protection operations to CohesityM&ABackground
Veritas's portfolio had developed into distinct data-protection, security, availability, governance, and infrastructure-management activities. Cohesity pursued the data-protection and data-security portion of the business.
Action taken
Cohesity acquired the unit containing NetBackup, Veritas Alta, and related data-protection activities. Backup Exec, InfoScale, and selected compliance and governance operations were excluded and separated into Arctera.
Aftermath
The transaction closed in December 2024 and divided the historical Veritas portfolio between Cohesity and Arctera.
reported transaction valuation. approximately $7 billion overall deal value; Veritas business valued at approximately $3 billion (2024 transaction)
2016
Sale to The Carlyle GroupM&ABackground
Following Symantec's separation plan, the information-management business required a new ownership structure and standalone operating model.
Action taken
The Carlyle Group completed the acquisition of Veritas, taking the company private.
Aftermath
Veritas relaunched with a standalone brand, new visual identity, and a renewed focus on enterprise data protection and management.
reported transaction value. approximately $8 billion (2016 completion)
2014
Separate information management from securityStrategyBackground
Symantec concluded that its security and information-management activities should operate as separate businesses with different strategic priorities.
Action taken
Symantec announced that the information-management business would be re-established as Veritas Technologies, with operational separation occurring in 2015.
Aftermath
The Veritas business was sold to The Carlyle Group and became privately held in January 2016.
2004
Merge with SymantecM&ABackground
Veritas had become a leading storage-management and backup-software company, while Symantec was a major security-software provider. The companies pursued a combination to broaden their enterprise software portfolio.
Action taken
Veritas and Symantec announced a merger valued at approximately $13.5 billion. The transaction closed in July 2005.
Aftermath
Veritas operated within Symantec for almost a decade before Symantec separated its security and information-management businesses.
announced transaction value. approximately $13.5 billion (2004 announcement)
Recent events
- 2024
Cohesity agrees to acquire Veritas data-protection business[1]
M&A
Cohesity agreed to acquire Veritas's data-protection and data-security operations, including NetBackup and Veritas Alta, while selected other businesses were excluded from the transaction.
- 2024
Cohesity completes acquisition of Veritas data-protection operations[1]
M&A
The acquisition of the relevant Veritas data-protection and data-security operations was completed in December 2024, while remaining activities were separated into Arctera.
- 2024
Cohesity completes acquisition of Veritas data-protection unit[1]
M&A
The acquisition of the data-protection and data-security unit was completed, while other Veritas activities were separated into Arctera.
- 2020
Veritas acquires Globanet[1]
M&A
Veritas acquired Los Angeles-based Globanet, adding communications compliance and information-governance capabilities to its portfolio.
- 2018
Veritas names Greg Hughes chief executive[1]
Leadership change
Veritas appointed Greg Hughes as chief executive during its post-separation standalone phase.
- 2016
The Carlyle Group completes acquisition of Veritas[1]
M&A
The Carlyle Group completed its purchase of Symantec's Veritas information-management business, returning Veritas to private ownership in a transaction reported at approximately $8 billion.
- 2016
Veritas becomes privately held[1]
M&A
The sale to The Carlyle Group closed and Veritas resumed operation as a privately held company independent of Symantec.
- 2015
The Carlyle Group agrees to acquire Veritas information-management business[1]
M&A
The Carlyle Group agreed to purchase Veritas from Symantec in a transaction reported at approximately $8 billion in cash.
- 2014
Symantec announces separation of its information-management business[1]
M&A
Symantec announced plans to separate its security business from its information-management operations, which would be relaunched under the Veritas name.
- 2014
Symantec announces separation of information-management business[1]
Other
Symantec announced that it would divide its security operations from its information-management operations, with the latter returning under the Veritas identity.
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