Forcepoint (before Websense)

Websense - one of developers of filtering systems of corporate Internet traffic. Products of the company increase web security and performance of users. Products of traffic filtering WebSense help the organizations to protect themselves from such Internet threats as spywares and other vredosnosny software. Reliable protection of networks is provided with a pro-active security technology which supplements traditional solutions of security.

Solutions

"The solutions Websense are based on use of modern mechanisms of protection against external and internal threats, give an opportunity of complex approach to creation of an effective system of information security support. Besides, customers reduce total ownership cost a system thanks to a single platform and the management console. As Websense technologies attract great interest of customers – demand for them grows, and our vendor interaction from year to year becomes more and more successful", - Dmitry Vasilyev, the head of support department of sales of department of information security of Softline company said in 2014 about advantages of the solution.

History

2015

Raytheon is going to redeem Websense from private investment firm

As approves^[1], one of the largest American defense companies Raytheon prepares for acquisition of the developer of means of a computer security Websense.

Websense belongs to private investment firm Vista Equity Partners which estimates the company at one billion dollars. In 2013 Vista Equity Partners purchased Websense, having paid 907 million dollars that considerably exceeded the total cost of its actions at that time. Websense carried out share placing in the period of a boom of "dotcoms" and began active growth, but for quite some time now development of the company slowed down. Many firms founded in the 90th years managed to lose attractiveness for the large IT companies. The main part of investments in the market of means of a computer security is made now in startups (mainly, American) which show big energy and aspiration to innovations.

Also Raytheon considered the possibility of purchase of Blue Coat company, but as a result it was sold to Bain Capital investment firm.

Websense is sold to Raytheon for $1.9 billion

On April 20, 2015 it was announced Websense sale to the producer of the defense and space systems of Raytheon. The cost of the transaction taking into account a debt of the absorbed firm will be $1.9 billion, the Reuters agency with reference to the statement of Raytheon reports.^[2]

The private investment fund Vista Equity Partners which at the time of the announcement of purchase of Websense owned this company will receive from Raytheon about $1.57 billion cash. It is going to close the transaction in the second quarter 2015. Before it regulating authorities will make the decisions on sale of one of the world's largest producers of the systems of content filtering and solutions for protection against leaks of confidential information (Data Leak Prevention, DLP).

Websense will be integrated with cyberdivision of Raytheon therefore the company worth $2.3 billion will appear

After all formalities concerning the transaction are executed, Raytheon will make the consolidation Websense with the division by Raytheon Cyber Products (its business is estimated at $400 million) which is responsible for questions of cyber security. As a result there will be a new company with market value about $2.3 billion a 80 percent share in this asset Raytheon, and other 20% – to Vista Equity fund which will pay the opponent $335 million will belong. The newly made firm will be headed by the CEO of Websense John McCormack.

Commenting on Websense purchase, the head of Raytheon Thomas Kennedy told the following: "The market of the advanced cybersolutions protecting the global industry and infrastructure promptly grows because of difficult threats which arise in the conditions of their good financing, appearance of public enemies and criminal networks".

According to the analyst of FBR Capital Markets Daniel Ives, Websense acquisition by Raytheon company speaks about the amplifying importance of means of cyber defense of the companies and state bodies from harmful activity and the attacks of national scale once again.

Notes