Carbonite has revealed it's going to buy Webroot for $618.5 million to boost its presence in the data protection arena.
Working with Webroot will allow Carbonite to tap into the endpoint protection sector, combining security with cloud-based backup and recovery. Powered by machine learning, the companies expect their new offering to attract businesses struggling to protect their entire infrastructure.
“The acquisition of Webroot dramatically accelerates our progress towards becoming the leading data protection company,” said Mohamad Ali, president and chief executive at Carbonite.
“With threats like ransomware evolving daily, our customers and partners are increasingly seeking a more comprehensive solution that is both powerful and easy to use. Backup and recovery, combined with endpoint security and threat intelligence, is a differentiated solution that provides one, comprehensive data protection platform."
The company made the decision to acquire Webroot for a number of reasons, including that the cloud security firm's staff are on a mission to make it easier for businesses to manage their data. It will also be able to tap into Webroot’s customer base, which Carbonite believes is very similar to its existing clients.
“Carbonite and Webroot have a common focus on making data protection and cybersecurity solutions accessible and easy to use, as well as a dedication to customer success, and we are thrilled to become part of their team,” said Mike Potts, Webroot CEO. “Together we can deliver tremendous value to our customers and partners.”
The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2019 and has already been granted approval by both company boards.
