Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. 

 Some deals just don’t make sense. Some have underlying motivations that are not immediately apparent. Intel’s announced intention to acquire McAfee for $7.68 billion is a deal that does make sense no matter what perspective you take. 
 
 Technology acquisition. One argument put forth by analysts so far is that by acquiring a market leading anti-virus software company Intel will be able to add security features to their core business, chips. Seven billion dollars is a lot to pay for technology when there are 27 such technology companies that would cost less to acquire (Symantec, of course being more expensive). 
 
 Intel could acquire one of many anti-malware companies that have arguably better technology, better research, and much less baggage. 
 
 Brand enhancement. While there is a good argument to be made for technology vendors to acquire security companies to enhance their brands (EMC + RSA a notable example) Intel is not going to accomplish that by acquiring McAfee. Intel already has one of the most recognized brands in all of technology and they have no negative perceptions because of a lack of security association. Intel is highly respected across the board and is rarely faulted for lack of security. This acquisition does not bolster their brand at all. If anything it dilutes Intel’s brand. 
 
 Government play. With a tremendous increase in government spending on cyber security projected one could argue that acquiring McAfee gives Intel a piece of the action. McAfee’s EPO desktop security suite is already short listed within most of the US Defense Department and the firewall business McAfee acquired with their Secure Computing acquisition has a large federal component. But Intel is already entrenched in all aspects of state, local and federal government in almost every country in the world with their ubiquitous CPUs. Intel needs no help getting government business. 
 
 Network play. McAfee has invested considerable time and effort in revamping the Secure Computing line into a credible network security play. They also have one of the largest install bases of Intrusion Prevention (IPS) solutions. Will Intel work to enhance those network security products by supporting multi-core architectures in them? What does that mean to every other networking company that could have been big consumers of Intel CPUs? How will they feel about using chips from a direct competitor? And if the acquisition is a networking play why would Intel put McAfee in their Software and Services division? 
 
 Investment. In the tradition of conglomerates and holding companies this acquisition could be viewed as an investment in the relatively stable security industry. The plan would be to streamline operations and increase profitability. Is Intel really trying to become the next GE or ITT? Is that its core strength? Did it look at other investment opportunities? I understand beach front property on the Gulf coast is looking pretty good right now. 
 
 At $7.68 billion this is the biggest acquisition of a pure play security company ever. It is also the worst. There is no synergy, no channel benefits, marginal revenue enhancement (considering the price), no new markets, and no meaningful strategy. 

 Intel and McAfee shocked the tech world this morning with the announcement that Intel is acquiring McAfee for 7.7 billion dollars. The initial reaction from analysts and industry experts is confusion--or maybe cautious skepticism--as the tech world tries to understand how a company synonymous with processors and computer chip technology will make use of a major security software and services organization. 
 
 I spoke with IT-Harvest analyst Richard Stiennon for some insight on the blockbuster news. With details still somewhat sketchy, Stiennon postulated that it isn't about antivirus software. "You're paying $7 billion for an AV company which is crazy because there are 80 of them and they all do the same thing and you could buy one for $50 million." 
 
 Stiennon also offered some speculation that the McAfee acquisition might enable Intel to gain better access to lucrative government contracts. McAfee has a solid foothold in government desktop security that could open some doors. 
 
 Forrester analyst Jon Kindervag's early reaction is less than optimistic. In 2000 Intel bought a solid VPN company--Shiva--and within a few years it basically crumbled into oblivion because VPN technology is not Intel's core competency. 
 
 The purchase of McAfee, and the move into enterprise and consumer security is similarly outside of Intel's traditional comfort zone. Kindervag said "I would love to be wrong, but I think we may all look back five years from now and say 'Wow. That was a big mistake.'" 
 
 McAfee's CEO Dave DeWalt discussed why the merging of McAfee and Intel makes sense. "The number of connected devices is expected to grow from 1 billion to 50 billion by 2020, according to industry estimates. This explosive growth of Internet and IP-enabled devices is reshaping communication, collaboration and commerce opportunities for individuals and organizations around the world." 
 
 DeWalt elaborates "We are joining forces to tackle this next generation cybersecurity issue, which impacts everyone and anything connecting to the Internet. Security will be a third pillar in Intel's strategy, next to power efficient performance and Internet connectivity. By bringing McAfee's security DNA to Intel, we can offer better solutions and products to the market. By next year, we will introduce new security offerings as a result of our collaboration." 
 
 George Kurtz, Global CTO of McAfee, explains in a blog post "While you may ask "Why?" - It makes perfect sense to me. Given the current challenges in dealing with the proliferation of virulent malware, bringing software closer to silicon will provide a real advantage for consumers and businesses. Beating back the tide of malware proliferation by changing the game on the bad guys is an exciting proposition." 
 
 At face value, it seems like an "oil and water" sort of purchase--like the ill-fated acquisition of Skype by eBay, but perhaps there is some grand plan or spark of genius that we will understand more fully as the dust settles and the operations of McAfee and Intel become integrated. It could be a brilliant move, or a huge mistake, and only time will tell.
– Intel agreed to buy McAfee for $7.68 billion today, leaving analysts slack-jawed with disbelief. “I would love to be wrong, but I think we may all look back five years from now and say, 'Wow. That was a big mistake,’” one Forrester analyst tells PC World, while another joked that it was “a lot like a horseless-carriage vendor buying a leading supplier of buggy-whips.” “You're paying $7 billion for an AV company, which is crazy because there are 80 of them and they all do the same thing,” said an IT-Harvest analyst, though he noted that Intel may be after McAfee’s access to government contracts. And Richard Stiennon of Forbes writes, “This is the biggest acquisition of a pure play security company ever. It’s also the worst. There is no synergy, no channel benefits, no new markets ... and no meaningful strategy.”