Blue Coat to be acquired by private equity firm Thoma Bravo for $1.3 billion

Blue Coat Systems, a provider of Web security and WAN
optimization solutions, announced that it will be acquired by private equity
firm Thoma Bravo for approximately $1.3 billion.


Blue Coat will continue to operate with its focus on Web
security and WAN optimization.


The investor group is led by Thoma Bravo and includes the
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Teachers’) through its private investor
department, Teachers’ Private Capital.


“Blue Coat has strong, differentiated products for
protecting enterprises from the ever increasing levels of Web-based security
threats and for accelerating and optimizing applications and rich media
content, such as video, over their networks,” said Gregory S Clark,
president and chief executive officer, Blue Coat Systems.


Its partnership with Thoma Bravo will assist Blue Coat in
more aggressively realizing the opportunities in its two markets, by providing
a platform that enables greater focus on the business that supports the future
growth of the company.


“Blue Coat is an award-winning, global leader in next
generation Web security and WAN optimization, and we welcome the opportunity to
work with its existing management team,” said Orlando Bravo, managing
partner at Thoma Bravo.


“Blue Coat marks the continuation of Thoma Bravo’s
investment efforts in the security technology industry, and is the firm’s fifth
security technology platform investment,” said Seth Boro, partner at Thoma
Bravo.


“We are excited to partner with Blue Coat on
strengthening its industry leadership position through product innovation,
enhancing its world-class customer support and identifying organic and
strategic growth opportunities,” Boro added.


By Telecomlead.com Team
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