EMC is set to acquire Archer Technologies in a bid to boost its security division.
Archer provides enterprise governance, risk and compliance (GRC) software solutions and currently holding more than six million licensed users.
It will operate as part of EMC's RSA division. Its president, Art Coviello, seemed keen for the transaction to go ahead.
"Traditional security management focuses primarily on addressing technology issues, but our customers are telling us that their real challenges are in the areas of policy management, audit and compliance," he said in a statement.
"You can't manage what you can't see. The Archer solution not only offers the visibility into risk and compliance that customers need, it brings stronger policy management capabilities to the RSA portfolio."
No financial terms for the deal have been released yet but a statement from EMC confirmed the deal was likely to complete in the first quarter of the year.
