VMware announced yesterday that they are acquiring AirWatch for $1.175 billion in cash and approximately $365 million of installment payments and assumed unvested equity.
Who is Airwatch:
- The world’s largest mobile security and enterprise mobility management provider with more than 1,500 employees across nine global offices.
- More than 10,000 organizations in 150 countries leverage the AirWatch®Enterprise Mobility Management Platform, which includes industry-leading mobile device, email, application, content, laptop and browser management solutions. Read more.
- Private company, launched in 2003, based in Georgia.
- Founded by Alan Dabbiere (@AlanDabbiere), who also started GA based Manhattan Associates, the world’s leading supply-chain execution software company.
- Raised a $225 million Series-A round last year from Insight Venture Partners and Accel Partners.
The Scoop on the Deal:
- VMware is attempting to extend its vision of using software to manage the increasing popularity of mobile devices in the workplace.
- Big move by CEO Pat Gelsinger, who is about 18 months into the job.
- The deal is the third major acquisition in the mobile security market, a business which ABI Research estimates will double to more than $1 billion by 2015. (r.reuters.com/cuf36v)
- Other big enterprise companies are buying into mobile security: Citrix bought the venture-backed Zenprise in late 2012. & IBM purchased Fiberlink Communications, a mobile device management company.
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