Intel last month snatched up security firm McAfee for a cool $7.68 billion in a deal that was unanimously approved by both boards. As it turns out, McAfee isn’t the only one being suited.
Trend Micro CEO Eva Chen admitted that several first-tier companies have shown interest in acquiring the security outfit. For the time being, Chen contends that Trend Micro would rather remain an independent entity, but since it’s a publicly listed company, it’s conceivable that an offer too good to refuse could come along and have shareholders clamoring to sell.
So how much would it take to buy a company like Trend Micro? Quite a bit. Though Intel paid McAfee a 60 percent premium over the company’s market value, Chen says that Trend Micro would command even more, much more. The company has already ponied up $300 million to build a cloud computing infrastructure, and in 2009 Trend Micro set an internal goal of raising annual revenues from $1 billion to $2 billion within the next three years.
In other words, yes Trend Micro is open to offers, but only companies with money to burn need apply.
Image Credit: Trend Micro
Related posts: