F-Secure Corporation celebrates 20 years of reliable protection

Founded in 1988 under the name Data Fellows, F-Secure has grown from humble beginnings to become a globally recognized player in the Internet security and mobile security markets. The company’s outstanding technological innovation in the face of constantly evolving security threats has attracted both international accolades and respect within the industry.

F-Secure is also a Finnish business success story. F-Secure was listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki in 1999 and has consistently been one of the fastest growing publicly listed companies in the industry. The company has pioneered the Security as a Service™ business model and is today a global leader in providing security as a service through mobile operators and Internet Service Providers, with more than 160 partners around the world.

F-Secure’s 20th anniversary seminar was held at the Finnish Science Centre Heureka last Friday. The event included a panel discussion on the multiple meanings of ICT to Finland’s future.

The panelists included:
Jyrki Katainen, Minister of Finance;
Jorma Ollila, Chairman of the Board of Nokia Corporation and Royal Dutch Shell;
Vesa Puttonen, Professor from the Helsinki School of Economics;
Kimmo Alkio, President and CEO, F-Secure Corporation;
and Risto Siilasmaa, Chairman of the Board and founder of F-Secure.

“There has been discussions on howto encourage more so-called business angels to support startup companies, and also on tax incentives to support business development. In the model we are discussing, it should be possible for a company whose activities are seen as beneficial to the society to defer paying taxes until profits are actually returned to the investors”,  Jyrki Katainen outlined.

Jorma Ollila suggested more medium sized companies are needed: “Finland is among the winners of the ICT revolution. We have been able to transform the structure of the economy with the help of ICT, which has now become one of the foundations of the national economy. Finland has large companies and many startups but we are still lacking in medium-sized growth companies like F-Secure and need to find ways to improve this situation.”

 “It is significant from Finland’s perspective that we are today celebrating the success of a company like F-Secure. We need a hundred more similar companies, which are rooted in the Finnish identity but are also internationally oriented right from the start”, said Vesa Puttonen

“We should not only be using ICT for doing the same old things in a more efficient way but thinking about the whole operation in a new way. This requires courage, a willingness for change and a long-term vision. Finnish companies have to be competitive so that they can make their contribution to maintaining the Finnish society. We need more competitive growth companies and more skilled labor for them”, said Risto Siilasmaa.

Kimmo Alkio commented on global growth opportunities and the availability of ICT professionals: “ Thanks to F-Secure’s competitiveness and its motivated workforce, we believe strongly in the company’s future. The most important factors for success are innovation, global knowledge, and a multicultural environment. We now have a shortage of experienced ICT professionals in Finland, thus we should be encouraging more work-related immigration and global job rotation”.

An animated timeline about F-Secure’s first 20 years is available on the web at
http://www.f-secure.com/

The animation includes photos, video interviews and personal memories from the company’s 20-year journey.

About F-Secure Corporation
F-Secure Corporation protects consumers and businesses against computer viruses and other threats from the Internet and mobile networks. F-Secure’s award-winning solutions are available as a service subscription through more than 160 Internet service providers and mobile operator partners around the world, making F-Secure the global leader in this market.  The solutions are also available as licensed products through thousands of resellers globally.  The company aspires to be the most reliable security provider, helping to make computer and smartphone users’ connected lives safe and easy. This is substantiated by the company’s independently proven ability to respond faster to new threats than its main competitors. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Finland, F-Secure has been listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki since 1999. The company has consistently been one of the fastest growing publicly listed companies in the industry. The latest news on real-time virus threat scenarios is available at the F-Secure Data Security Lab weblog at http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/.

For more information, please contact:
F-Secure Corporation
Pär Andler, Director Corporate Communications and Brand
Tel. +358 40 544 2728
Email: firstname.lastname@f-secure.com