PatchLink merges with SecureWave in all-stock deal

SecureWave’s device and application monitoring solutions and policy enforcement capabilities will be integrated with PatchLink’s patch and vulnerability management software to create "unified protection and control that cuts across multiple departments within an enterprise," Bob Johnson, chief executive officer of Luxembourg-based SecureWave, said today in a statement announcing the deal.

Dennis Szerszen, the former senior vice president of marketing at SecureWave, told SCMagazine.com that the merger is a "perfect fit with minimal integration to do," and will end with "a solution our customers were hungry for."

The combined policy-based protection control will help defend against data leakage, malware and vulnerabilities while offering patch remediation and limiting risk and cost of ownership, he said.

"One of the last things companies want is a collection of 10 best-of-breed solutions," he said. "The fact that they have to maintain a number of different agents on each PC was an issue."

George Hamilton, research director with analyst firm Yankee Group, told SCMagzine.com that the pick-up carves out an enviable market position for PatchLink: Bigger than the pure-play best-of-breeds but smaller than the Symantecs and CAs of the world.

"They're getting above the fray of the little guys out there but they're not getting so big that the problem and the solutions get diluted," Hamilton said. "It makes them a little bit more competitive."

The merger allows 80-employee SecureWave, which serves mostly foreign banking, financial and military organizations, to expand its customer base, Szerszen said. Meanwhile, PatchLink, which employs about 150 employees and caters to some 3,400 enterprise customers, can expand its reach beyond North America.

PatchLink intends to retain "essentially" all employees, he said.

In February, PatchLink announced it acquired the STAT Guardian Vulnerability Management Suite from Harris Corp.

CEO Pat Clawson said the purchase underscored the company's belief in consolidation. PatchLink decided on Harris from four other possible firms because, like SecureWave, the two shared a partner history.