VMware, Inc., a virtualization and cloud infrastructure company, has announced that it will acquire enterprise mobility management solution provider AirWatch.
Under the definitive agreement, VMware will purchase AirWatch for $1.2 billion in cash and approximately $365 million in installment payments and assumed unvested equity. The acquisition is expected to close in late Q1 2014.
The AirWatch team will continue to report to John Marshall, the company’s Founder and CEO. Marshall, however, will join the VMware End-User Computing group, which is led by Sanjay Poonen, EVP and GM.
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Alan Dabbiere, Co-Founder and Chairman of Airwatch, will oversee a new AirWatch operating board, which will report to VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger.
With the acquisition, VMware will be able to “add a foundational element to our end-user computing portfolio that will enable our customers to turbo-charge their mobile workforce without compromising security,” Gelsinger said. AirWatch solutions will help expand the VMware End-User Computing group, as well as provide a portfolio of mobile solutions that are complementary to the entire VMware portfolio.
“Our vision is to provide a secure virtual workspace that allows end-users to work at the speed of life,” Poonen added. “The combination of AirWatch and VMware will enable us to deliver unprecedented value to our customers and partners across their desktop and mobile environments.”
