Intel Buys McAfee, Plans to Get Into Online Security
The tech industry is never short of surprises, and the latest one comes from Intel. The microchip manufacturer announced it is jumping into the computer security business by acquiring McAfee.
McAfee specializes in antivirus protection but also provides services ranging from browser monitoring to email filtering. McAfee is a well known security business because of the free trials that come with most new computers.
Intel will acquire McAfee for $7.68 billion, and that's in cash, not in the stock or assets often used to broker huge business deals like this.
That's a lot of money, but it's obviously worth it to Intel because it immediately launches them into a lucrative industry with a full presence. It also makes Intel less dependent on just chip sales.
In fact, it may be an excellent opportunity for Intel to build certain kinds of protections directly into a microchip, instead of relying on software, like McAfee has in the past. As cars and homes come with ever more elaborate computerized systems, security measures will become more important to prevent someone from hacking a car or a home itself .
"With the rapid expansion of growth across a vast array of internet-connected devices , more and more of the elements of our lives have moved online," Intel’s chief executive, Paul S. Otellini, said in a statement. "In the past, energy-efficient performance and connectivity have defined computing requirements. Looking forward, security will join those as a third pillar of what people demand from all computing experiences."
