At CES 2014 today, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announced the McAfee brand name will be phased out and replaced by “Intel Security,” which will identify all Intel products and services in the security segment. The rebranding will begin immediately, but the transition will take up to a year before it is complete.
Intel also said that the process would happen “as new products are introduced.” This would suggest that whenever Intel releases the next version of every McAfee product, only then will it be branded Intel Security.
Intel’s security products won’t be getting a completely new logo, just a new brand name. The red shield, which Intel says represents “the core values of security and protection” will remain:
Intel first announced plans to acquire McAfee in August 2010 for $7.7 billion in cash. The chip company paid $48 a share for McAfee, a whopping 60 percent premium for the antivirus software maker.
Rebrandings like these are standard practice, and usually occur a few years after the initial acquisition. Nevertheless, we can’t help but wonder if the antics of John McAfee, who founded the company but hasn’t worked there in years, helped push Intel to speed up the process.
Here’s John McAfee himself in an unforgettable video from last year, littered with NSFW language, which pretty much sums up his relationship with the software.
Update: John McAfee told the BBC he is thrilled with the name change: “I am now everlastingly grateful to Intel for freeing me from this terrible association with the worst software on the planet. These are not my words, but the words of millions of irate users. My elation at Intel’s decision is beyond words.”
Intel’s McAfee will continue to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary, with employees working alongside Intel employees. The mission statement remains as well: “Intel aims to provide ubiquitous security and identity protection for individuals and businesses on all computing devices, and lead the industry by enabling a safe digital experience for every person on Earth.”
Krzanich also announced plans to offer elements of McAfee’s security solutions for mobile devices for free. This includes its data and device protection solutions for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
Unfortunately, exact timing was not shared and Intel merely said more details would be announced in the coming months. We can only assume the company wants to rebrand its products before releasing them for free.
See also – McAfee predicts Anonymous hacktivist movement will slow down in 2013, but its reasoning is flawed
Top Image Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.