Dell Adds Managed Security Services to Portfolio With SecureWorks Acquisition

Dell confirmed on Jan. 4 that it will acquire SecureWorks, an information-security services company. The acquisition will expand Dell's enterprise IT-as-a-service portfolio, the company said.

The acquisition is expected to close sometime in February, or "in approximately 40 days," Peter Altabef, president of Dell Services, said during a conference call with reporters. Although financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Altabef said it was a cash transaction.

Acquiring SecureWorks is a "significant expansion" of Dell's information-security capabilities, said Altabef. With its proprietary threat-management platform, SecureWorks helps clients protect assets, reduce risk, improve regulatory compliance and lower IT security-management costs, he said.

The Atlanta-based company specializes in various security-as-a-service offerings, including managed security, threat intelligence, risk assessment and security consulting, Michael Cote, president and CEO of SecureWorks, said during the call. The company claims almost 3,000 customers in 70 countries.