Under the terms of the deal, Intel will pay $48 a share in cash, a 60% premium to McAfee’s Wednesday closing stock price of $29.93. The move is Intel’s biggest effort to date to expand beyond its core chip-making business and the purchase,  Intel’s biggest since its acquisition of networks Level One Communications for $2.2bn in 1999.

“In the past, energy-efficient performance and connectivity have defined computing requirements,” notes Paul Otellini, (right)  Intel’s CEO. “Looking forward, security will join those as a third pillar of what people demand from all computing experiences.”

What is curious about the Intel move is that a McAfee SWOT analysis enumerated among weaknesses its numerous acquisitions and divestments, new management, not to mention strategic moves, leaving it strong in North America but loosing shares in EU and Asia, while experiencing channel difficulties, a lack of customer trust and having weak support services.

Intel does however, gain an main player entrance into the security technology sector that it will expects to continue to grow quickly. Based in Santa Clara, California, McAfee reported about $2bn in revenue last year.