Intel has removed eccentric programmer and former fugitive John McAfee’s name from the eponymous security company it bought for $7.6 billion in 2010.
Intel Chief executive Brian Kryanich announced the rebranding of McAfee yesterday at the Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas.
The McAfee brand name will be phased out and rebranded Intel Security.
The announcement follows John McAfee’s constant criticism of the software he created. Last year he released a ‘guide’ video on how to uninstall the software, which shows McAfee ‘uninstalling’ the software by shooting his laptop after ingesting bath salts.
McAfee told the BBC he was now “everlastingly grateful to Intel for freeing him from this terrible association with the worst software on the planet”.
According to a company statement, the shield – which represents the core values of security and protection – will remain.
The re-branding will begin immediately and is expected to take a year to complete.
“McAfee will continue to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary.” A company statement said.
“Its employees will continue to work side-by-side with Intel employees currently working on security activities under the Intel Security umbrella.
McAfee Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Keith Buckley told ARN the name change reflected the value of the Intel brand and its brand attributes such as trust, innovation and performance.
“It also signals Intel’s desire to become the definitive leader in security,” he said. “While the McAfee name has been strongly associated with anti-virus protection, the security category and the company’s portfolio is much broader, and the new name reflects that. “By the end of this decade, Intel aims to provide ubiquitous security and identity protection for individuals and businesses on all computing devices.”
Buckley said Intel was very conscious of the fact that many acquisitions in the industry had destroyed the value of the acquired company.
“As such, Intel approached this acquisition cautiously, to ensure McAfee’s value and assets were not disrupted or diminished,” he said.
“For the last three years, Intel has worked together with McAfee to innovate and invent the next generation of security products.
“Now is the time to turn these innovations into value for our customers and partners.”
