Blue Coat to Acquire Security Company Permeo for $60M

The deal will add Permeo's technology for protecting computer "end points" such as desktop and laptop computers to Blue Coat's line of security "proxy" appliances that scan network Web traffic, Blue Coat says.

Security appliance maker Blue Coat Systems Inc. said that it is buying Permeo Technologies Inc. of Austin for $60 million in cash and stock.

The deal will add Permeos technology for protecting computer "end points" such as desktop and laptop computers to Blue Coats line of security "proxy" appliances that scan ingoing and outgoing network Web traffic for malicious code and sensitive information, said Steve Mullaney, vice president of worldwide marketing at Blue Coat.

Blue Coat, which is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., will pay around $13.4 million in cash and $47.4 million in stock to acquire Permeo.

The deal comes as more enterprises are looking for ways to secure computers used by remote and mobile workers, who are often beyond the reach of IT products that protect users on a corporate intranet, said Mullaney.

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"You have a boundary-less enterprise. Increasingly, the user is not on the inside, theyre on the outside, but accessing applications that are on the inside," said Mullaney.

Permeos Base5 is an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) VPN appliance that uses a thin client in conjunction with a VPN appliance to give remote access to network applications like Microsoft Outlook and SAP.

Base5 also has security features that protect against threats like keyloggers, worms and viruses and provides information controls that prevent sensitive data from being printed, copied or saved.

Blue Coat plans to integrate Permeos technology into its ProxySG line of appliances, allowing the company to broaden its coverage beyond Web applications to internal enterprise applications, Mullaney said.

"Its not just about Gee, theres spyware on my machine, its about host as well as data integrity and compliance with regulations," he said. "People need to lock down their PCs to make sure that data is not lost."

Blue Coat expects the acquisition of Permeo to complete within 60 days.

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