McAfee Associates
McAfee Associates was established by John McAfee in 1987. Originally, the company was known for its anti-virus software, which was among the first widely used programs of its kind. Here are some key points about McAfee Associates:
- Foundation: The company was founded in Santa Clara, California, with the goal of creating software to protect computers from viruses, which were becoming a significant threat in the late 1980s.
- Initial Product: The first product was McAfee AntiVirus, which was initially distributed as a shareware program called VirusScan. It quickly gained popularity due to the increasing prevalence of computer viruses.
- Public Offering: In 1992, McAfee Associates went public, which allowed for significant expansion of its product lines and market presence.
- Acquisitions: Throughout the 1990s, McAfee Associates acquired several smaller companies to expand its security offerings, including those in the network security and encryption sectors.
- Merger: In 1997, McAfee Associates merged with Network Associates, a company specializing in network security. This merger led to a period of reorganization where McAfee focused more on enterprise-level solutions.
- Name Changes: Over time, the company name changed several times due to mergers and acquisitions. In 2004, the company was renamed to McAfee, Inc., reflecting a return to the McAfee brand name.
- Acquisition by Intel: In 2010, Intel acquired McAfee, Inc. for $7.68 billion, with the aim of integrating security features into its hardware offerings. This acquisition was part of a broader trend of integrating security directly into hardware.
- Separation from Intel: In 2017, Intel sold a majority stake in McAfee to TPG Capital and Thoma Bravo, making it once again an independent company, though Intel retained a small stake.
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