Why did Intel buy McAfee for $7.68 Billion?

Intel have announced today that they are buying McAfee, the Anti Virus software company. The full details and Press Release are available on the Press section of the Intel Website.

Why did Intel buy McAfee?

Why would Intel, the company who produce the processor chips inside most PCs, buy a software company who specialise in Anti-Virus and security software? 

Intel are looking to make security an integral part of the future of hardware devices that use their technology. When Intel buy McAfee, one of the most well known and respected security companies around, they also acquire a huge amount of technology, knowledge and research.

Intel buy McAfee – what does it mean us?

It shows that Intel are serious about security and that they want to steal a march on competitors like AMD.

If Intel can embed security technology into their chips it will, ultimately, mean a more secure computing experience for all of us.

Imagine your laptop with a ‘Intel Inside, Secured by McAfee’ sticker on it. If the combined strengths of Intel and McAfee mean that you are more likely to buy a PC with an Intel Processor in it, because it is inherently more secure, then Intel have done their job. If McAfee security software can make better use of the technology of Intel processors then you are more likely to use McAfee.

So at the end of the day it make good commercial sense for Intel to buy McAfee and, if they get it right we benefit with a more secure computing experience.  

It will also mean that it will be much simpler for McAfee to build out an appliance based technology for the Enterprise.

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