Intel buys McAfee

[Glenn]

The world's biggest computer chip maker, Intel, has agreed to buy the security technology firm, McAfee.

Intel will pay about $7.68bn (£5bn) in cash.

Under the terms of the deal, Intel said it would pay $48 per share in cash for McAfee, almost 60% higher than its closing price on Wednesday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11025866

[Rik]

I wonder why they are prepared to pay so much?

[Technical Ben]

I wouldn't pay a pound for it... 

[Rik]

You are not alone.

[Niall]

I bet they're planning on some sort of business package incorporating hardware and security.

[Glenn]

That would be the logical step, I guess we will see new products next year.

[Rik]

Deep joy. Every Intel processor comes with McAfee hard-wired into it.  

[Glenn]

The Enterprise version of McAfee is good, as always, it's the consumer version that is the poor relation.

[Glenn]

Then perhaps to calm Intel investors skittish about profit-sucking turbulence that might be engendered by a whole-scale executive shake-up, Otellini noted: "We have a commitment by the McAfee management team to stay on for multiple years post-close."

But why McAfee? Intel is a chipmaker, not a "scare 'em then sell 'em" security-software outfit. Otellini's answer was architectural. "We have concluded that security has now become the third pillar of computing," he told his listeners, "joining energy-efficient performance and Internet conductivity in importance."

And that third pillar, Otellini believes, will be best implemented in silicon, not software. "We believe that security will be most effective when enabled in hardware," he said. "Joining the assets of McAfee with Intel will accelerate and enhance the combination of hardware and software solutions."

Intel's head of software and services Renee James cast the acquisition of the software giant as business as usual. "The proposed acquisition of McAfee executes against Intel's software strategy to grow our business by using software to enhance hardware," she assured her audience. "We've done this successfully with over a dozen software acquisitions, including Wind River and Havok."

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/08/19/intel_and_macafee_wtf/

[Rik]

Interesting last three letters in the URL. 

[Gary]

Interesting last three letters in the URL. 

I can see chipside AV based being worked on maybe?

[Technical Ben]

I'll deff' be sticking to AMD then!

[Glenn]

I can see AMD following suit, and buying a security company themselves, Symantec maybe?

[pctech]

AV you can't turn off, that'll be a support nightmare.

[Rik]

I shudder at the thought.

[zappaDPJ]

Interesting last three letters in the URL. 

Very

[Technical Ben]

I can see AMD following suit, and buying a security company themselves, Symantec maybe?

Meh. It's like choosing a HP over a dell. Not much in it, but at least the HP goes up in flames in style.

[Rik]

We demand evidence.

[Technical Ben]

Ask, and Ye shall get.
Good...


Not so good.

[Rik]

OK, I'm with you then.