The owners of Norton Antivirus and LifeLock may be reporting to Broadcom soon. The semiconductor giant is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire Symantec, a company famed for its extensive portfolio of cybersecurity software.
The transaction could cost Broadcom as much as $15 billion, assuming negotiations don’t fall apart. Symantec’s consumer segment is apparently very profitable.
Broadcom has moved to buy software businesses. Last year, it agreed to buy CA Technologies, a maker of corporate software, for nearly $19 billion. And Broadcom’s chief financial officer, Tom Krause, recently told Morgan Stanley that the company would focus on buying so-called infrastructure software that powers back-end operations for businesses.