Intel Security To Sell McAfee NGFW, Firewall Enterprise Businesses To Raytheon|Websense

As part of the company's new strategic direction, Intel Security has signed its intention to sell its McAfee Next-Generation Firewall and McAfee Firewall Enterprise businesses to Raytheon|Websense, CRN has learned.

The intent to acquire the division, which was revealed in a memo to Raytheon|Websense employees Monday that was viewed by CRN, is the first big acquisition move made by the combined company. Raytheon acquired Websense in June for $1.9 billion.

The acquisition is expected to close at the end of the year, the memo from Raytheon|Websense CEO John McCormack said.

[Related: 10 Things Partners Need To Know About Intel Security's New Strategy]

"This acquisition underscores the power of our new company," McCormack wrote in the memo. "When business opportunities like this arise, we have both the strength and the agility to act swiftly and decisively," he said.

For Raytheon|Websense, McCormack said the acquisition also expands the hybrid cloud capabilities of the company's Triton security platform, as well as adds key security talent to the company's lineup. The acquisition will add 300 new employees to the company's roster, the memo said.

CRN reached out to Raytheon|Websense for further comment but had not heard back as of press time.

Intel Security declined to comment.

For Intel Security, the divestiture of the two McAfee brands fits into a strategy of stepping away from product lines that do not fit into its new strategy around security outcomes for protection, detection and correction. Chris Young, senior vice president and general manager of Intel Security, said at the company's Focus 15 event in Las Vegas this week that the new strategy would involve adding new products in some areas and divesting them in others.

"We are making some tough trade-offs in our portfolio," Young said to the 400 partners in attendance. "We're also bringing new products [into the portfolio]."

This week, Intel Security also revealed the end of life of its SaaS Email Protection and Archiving solutions.

Raytheon|Websense CEO McCormack said the two companies have signed the deal, but that it is still working out the details of an integration, internally and for customers and partners. He said the company has started the integration plans, but reminded employees to remain focused during the process.

"We have a lot of work ahead as we continue to unify Websense and Raytheon Cyber Products and finish our largest sales quarter of the year; I ask each of you to continue to remain focused on your current work and goals as we move forward," McCormack said.

STEVEN BURKE and KEVIN MCLAUGHLIN contributed to this story.

PUBLISHED OCT. 27, 2015