by Anton Shilov
09/06/2005 | 07:25 PM
Intel Capital, Intel Corp.’s venture investment program, said on Tuesday it had signed an agreement to acquire a stake in Grisoft, a provider of anti-virus security software. Intel said that under the terms of the agreement it would help to develop and deploy Grisoft’s software, which is inline with the company’s recent strategy to develop platform solutions that include both hardware and software.
<%BANNER[article]%>Intel will acquire $16 million stake in Grisoft, the deal is subject to approval by the competition council of the
Grisoft’s products are now used on more than 25 million computers. Distributed through resellers and through the Internet, Grisoft’s product line supports all major operating systems and platforms. Pursuant to the terms of the cooperation agreement, Intel Capital said it would assist Grisoft to reach new customers and market segments as well as “optimize their security software”.
While Intel is tight-lipped over outcomes of the deal, it is likely to expect the semiconductor giant to help the software designer to tailor its security programs for Intel’s technologies like AMT, LaGrande and possibly other and then bundle certain its products with security apps developed by Grisoft.
“By acquiring shares in Grisoft, Intel Capital is supporting the development of anti-virus software development and deployment around the globe,” said Intel Capital president Arvind Sodhani. “Under the terms of the strategic cooperation agreement with Grisoft, Intel will work to help Grisoft improve security on computing platforms for small businesses and consumers.”