Dell gets rid of RSA Security for $ 2 billion

Dell sold RSA Security, an IT security company that had bought just a few years earlier with EMC (the complete package cost nearly $ 70 billion in 2015). The buyer is a group of investors led by STG, a Californian private equity. The deal earned Dell $ 2.1 billion, which is roughly the same amount EMC spent in 2006 on the purchase. RSA was founded in 1994, and has remained independent for 12 years. Its best known products are:

• The annual conference of the same name held in San Francisco
• RSA Archer, risk management platform
• RSA NetWitness, cyber threats detection and defensive response platform
• RSA SecurID, two-factor authentication system with hardware token
• RSA Fraud and Risk Intelligence Suite, offered for companies to prevent and detect possible financial fraud

In the official announcement post, Dell explains that the goals of the two companies have become incompatible with each other, and since Dell is also working to simplify its activities, it was decided to sell. Of course, the transaction will require regulatory approval, as usual; therefore a final verdict will be reached in the next 6-9 months.