VMWare Acquires AirWatch

Cloud infrastructure and virtualization provider VMWare announced they have acquired mobile management and security solutions provider AirWatch.

VMware will acquire AirWatch for approximately $1.175 billion in cash and approximately $365 million of installment payments and assumed unvested equity.

“AirWatch provides best-in-class, secure, enterprise-mobile management to thousands of businesses around the world,” said Pat Gelsinger, chief executive officer of VMware in a statement. “With this acquisition VMware will add a foundational element to our end-user computing portfolio that will enable our customers to turbo-charge their mobile workforce without compromising security.”

Atlanta-based AirWatch has more than 10,000 customers globally and more than 1,600 employees across nine global offices. The Atlanta site is expected to expand and be the center of VMware’s mobile operations, the company said.

The AirWatch team will continue to report to founder and chief executive officer John Marshall as part of VMware’s End-User Computing group, led by Sanjay Poonen, EVP and GM. Alan Dabbiere, AirWatch’s co-founder and chairman, will be overseeing a new AirWatch operating board which will report to Pat Gelsinger, VMware chief executive officer.

Bryan Yurcan is associate editor for Bank Systems and Technology. He has worked in various editorial capacities for newspapers and magazines for the past 8 years. After beginning his career as a municipal and courts reporter for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Bryan has ... View Full Bio