Hard on the heels of the recent acquisition of data storage company 3Par for $2 billion, this week HP grabs ArcSight, a maker of software security for about $1.5 billion. The price represents about a 25% premium on ArcSight’s Friday market value of $1.2 billion.
Since the departure of CEO Mark Hurd over corporate conduct rules, HP has been on a buying spree paying top dollar and what some observers feel is even too much for their recent acquisitions.
Maybe they plan on getting a pay-day from the lawsuit HP has filed over Hurd’s hiring by Oracle … and his alleged breaking of confidential clauses in his contract.
Bringing ArcSight under the HP corporate logo should bolster their product line of security and network monitoring systems sold to business and governments.
HP appears to be carrying on in the direction that Hurd initiated by turning them away from just a manufacturer of low margin computer equipment to offer more services and software and to compete with companies like IBM.
