Having seen the strategic value of Symbiot's iSIMS security system running on its Xserve platform, Apple moved quickly to form a partnership between the two companies, Symbiot officials confirmed to AppleInsider last week.

Symbiot, Inc. claims to be an emerging leader in the field of Intelligent Security Infrastructure Management Systems (iSIMS). In less than 2 days the company will roll-out its iSIMS— the first IT corporate defense system that fights back against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and hacker attacks by launching counter-strikes.

Though currently a small company consisting of merely 12 employees and and 2 dozen contractors, Symbiot has reportedly garnered the support of at least one industry fixture, namely Apple Computer. On March 18th, Symbiot announced that it had selected Apple's Xserve G5 as the platform of choice for deploying iSIMS in the enterprise. The decision was not one of chance.

Rumors that Apple had secretly invested over $3 million in the Internet security startup first surfaced on AppleInsider two weeks ago. While Symbiot declined to comment on specifics of the deal due to its strategic relationship with the computer maker, they did confirm Apple had made significant investments in the future of the company, including, but not limited to, monetary investments.

As a business partner, Apple has solved a number of fundamental issues that will help Symbiot deploy its iSIMS in the enterprise market. "As a former Dell employee, I was a bit skeptical that Apple could deliver on all of their commitments," said Frank Milano, Vice President of Finance at Symbiot. "They have already proven to be a trustworthy business partner. Their team has provided a number of introductions that - given Symbiot's size and stature - might not have otherwise been afforded to us at this time."

From a financial standpoint, Milano believes that the relationship will accrue significant value to both companies. "Interest and demand have been well ahead of our expectations. Symbiot currently has a backlog of orders for its iSIMS that we expect to ship in approximately 3-4 weeks." Milano further states that when Apple is capable of shipping their dual processor Xserve G5 in quantity, Symbiot expects to ship a customer order within 5-7 days of receipt of a signed purchase order.

A key component of the company's strategy will be Symbiot.NET, a service which feeds software updates to its customers, and serves as a knowledge base for attacker profiles. "Symbiot.NET is similar to the FBI's most wanted files, or AFIS - the automated fingerprint identification system," the company said.

Symbiot would not immediately confirm or deny rumors that the aforementioned software update functionality would utilize or borrow any component code from Apple's already established Software Update mechanism for Mac OS X. "That will be revealed in the due course of time," company officials said. Symbiot also provided the same response when asked if Apple would either license or co-brand on its iSIMS software for deployment on its enterprise level Xserve systems.

Prior to the announcement of its iSIMS solution, the company delivered a number of Xserve prototypes equipped with its software for live testing at client locations. Some of the earliest adopters of the technology are believed to reside in the online gambling sector, sources told AppleInsider. As a matter of policy, Symbiot would not reveal the identity of any of its customers, but did confirm having access to Apple's Xserve G5 for testing and development purposes. Additionally, Symbiot acknowledged having several 'G5 devices' in its testing labs at this time.

Although Apple's Xserve G5 delays have caused Symbiot some immediate hardship, it regards the situation as normal part of any technology transition. The setback has prompted the company to temporarily reduce its prices as an incentive to initial customers. Until Apple can fulfill its orders, Symbiot's 2-year subscription price will be $4,000 per month, while a 60-day, no-obligation trial will be priced at $12,500.

Symbiot's iSIMS subscription model is designed much like a cell phone service: "We bundle the hardware, software, service and support into a single recurring fee, so that the customers know what to expect over the entire term of their subscriptions. There are no hidden fees or costly add-ons."

Mike Erwin, Symbiot's president, and William Hurley, Symbiot's vice president of corporate development, were both formerly Apple employees. Other members of Symbiot's management team have also done work for Apple, including Paco Nathan, who founded the Mac User Group at AT&T Bell Labs and was the recipient of a crystal apple in recognition of his work there several years ago.