back to article McAfee's back! Intel flogs security software biz, pockets $3.1bn

Intel is selling off a majority stake in its security software arm – formerly known as McAfee – to private equity firm TPG, which will rename itself to, er, McAfee. Chipzilla absorbed McAfee Inc in 2010 for $7.68bn, and in 2014 it phased out the McAfee brand name. According to Intel, that software division is today valued at …

  1. Dr.Flay

    A captive set of succkers? BUY IT NOW !!!

    "Given McAfee's leading global market position, loyal customer base, and trusted technology, we see a compelling opportunity to invest in a highly strategic platform that is growing consistently and addressing significant and evolving market demand."

    ...or in plain English;

    "Given that it is pre-installed by OEMs, and non-technical people always install it with Java or Flash, we think this massive barrel of blind fish will make fine pickings."

    Companies that buy-in to security software or anti-virus to gain a foot-hold in that territory (eg. intel and microsoft) do not have the specialist background needed, and so continue to degrade whatever software they bought until some other suckers buy it.

    1. Ole Juul

      Re: A captive set of succkers? BUY IT NOW !!!

      "a highly strategic platform that is growing consistently and addressing significant and evolving market demand."

      Suckers indeed. There's more marketeers than security experts involved in that decision. I'm sure they don't want to hear that others are now saying that anti virus software is increasingly useless and has had its day.

    2. Wade Burchette

      Re: A captive set of succkers? BUY IT NOW !!!

      "Companies that buy-in to security software or anti-virus to gain a foot-hold in that territory (eg. intel and microsoft) do not have the specialist background needed, and so continue to degrade whatever software they bought until some other suckers buy it."

      McAfee has been crap for years, even before Intel. Intel just made it much worse, much like Microsoft did with Skype. Now McAfee couldn't find water standing waist deep in the ocean. And since McAfee has 8 or so background programs going all the time, it really slows a computer down.

      1. Dr.Flay

        Re: A captive set of succkers? BUY IT NOW !!!

        Yes indeed, I never said Mcafee was ever good, and I tar Symantec with the same brush.

        Buy a big brand name and some average software, put them together and, bingo.

        Peter Norton went from being the premier name in disk tools, to being Norton a brand of self-destroying crapware, with a friendly looking man on the cover, who never coded a single line of the contents.

        Software so average, they have to pay other companies to trick you into installing it, or starting with it.

        Microsoft bought a "reputedly" big (Giant) anti-spyware and kept it as average as it ever was. At least Microsoft admit that their current shoddy AV is considered the baseline and you should go no lower in protection (some people think baseline means good, not "base"line).

        Then intel decided they wanted a slice of lucrative AV pie, so bought McAfee thinking only of the captive barrel-fish, not about the fact they bought a turd that needed a lot of fixes and maintenance, hence was on the market.

        Without a background in AV, and the same McAfee team, there was never any hope of intel improving their turd.

        All they could do was polish that turd within an inch of its life, and continue to buy or trick their way into peoples PCs, until they find a mug to offload it to.

        When other companies try to give you extras with a download, we call it "Adware" and "Potentialy Unwanted Program".

        Adobe and Oracle are as guilty as McAfee, Symantec and Google for using delivery methods commonly blocked by most AV.

        Oh the irony.

  2. Filthysock

    Maths?

    Am I missing something but doesn't "Intel will get $3.1bn in cash and retain a 49 per cent" mean the value of McAffee is at least $6bn?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Black Helicopters

      Re: Maths?

      It is not the value of McAffee they are selling.

  3. Wiltshire

    Does Intel still have a share of AVG?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Id love to know

    If they sold this via a nag Window.

    Or if the investors bought something else and McAfee came bundled for "free".

    Its the only way McAfee sells anything.

  5. Mandoscottie

    lol

    Given McAfee's leading global market position, loyal customer base, and trusted technology, we see a compelling opportunity to invest in a highly strategic platform that is growing consistently and addressing significant and evolving market demand."

    hahahahahahahah <stops for breath> hahahahahahah <struggles to catch a breath> hahahahahah <falls off seat> waaah.

    What utter tripe. Global market position lol that still makes me giggle :P you've paid a shitload of wad for a crap joke of a "protection platform". think lump of coal in an ipad retail box :P

    /Checks his work calendar to make sure it really is not April 1st.

    they are now looking to invest in Bonzai buddy I heard next........

    1. disinterested observer

      Re: lol

      Sadly it's huge - and absolutely terrible - in Enterprise.

      It murders Visual Studio. Seriously. nuget packages are put in files with randomly generated name. McAfee goes "OH NOEZ YOU DON'T VIRUS BOY" and ruins all attempts to updates or reinstall.

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