VMware is acquiring cloud-native endpoint protection firm Carbon Black in an all cash transaction worth $2.1bn, enabling VMware to offer customers fully integrated security to their cloud data workloads. Carbon Black says it has 5,600 customers and 500 partners globally. The company’s security platform leverages big data and behavioural analytics and aims to provide comprehensive endpoint protection against advanced cyberattacks.
The combination of Carbon Black’s solutions with VMware’s security offerings, including AppDefense, Workspace ONE, NSX and SecureState, will create a modern security cloud platform for any application, running on any cloud, on any device, said VMware.
“The distribution and enterprise reach of VMware and Dell [VMware's majority owner] will further accelerate the adoption of Carbon Black in the enterprise, both through direct selling and through partners, including leading managed security players, channel partners and system integrators,” said VMware.
Pat Gelsinger, CEO of VMware, said: “The security industry is broken and ineffective with too many fragmented solutions and no cohesive platform architecture. By bringing Carbon Black into the VMware family, we are now taking a huge step forward in security and delivering an enterprise-grade platform to administer and protect workloads, applications and networks.”
He added: “With this acquisition, we will also take a significant leadership position in security for the new age of modern applications delivered from any cloud to any device.”
Patrick Morley, CEO of Carbon Black, said: “We now have the opportunity to seamlessly integrate Carbon Black’s cloud-native endpoint protection platform into all of VMware’s control points. This type of bold move is exactly what the IT and security industries have been looking to see for a very long time.”
Closing of the transaction is expected in the second half of VMware’s fiscal year 2020, ending 31 January.
The deal was announced on the same day that VMware sealed a previously mooted deal to acquire Dell subsidiary Pivotal Software, the cloud software firm, in a cash and shares deal worth $2.7bn. “Following the close of the transaction, VMware will be positioned to deliver the most comprehensive enterprise-grade Kubernetes-based portfolio for modern applications,” VMware said.
