Dell has announced that it will be acquiring network security maker SonicWALL as part of a plan to expand its security portfolio, and in turn, its range of enterprise solutions. SonicWALL produces a range of firewalls and Unified Threat Management (UTM) systems and has around 300,000 customers. The company's products also include anti-spam, email security, remote access, and backup/recovery systems.

In its announcement, Dell specifically notes the number of patents SonicWALL holds (130 registered or pending), leading some analysts to believe the purchase is primarily about intellectual property. Terms of the acquisition were not revealed, but a report in the Wall Street Journal say the deal values the company at around $1.2 billion. In 2010, SonicWALL went private when an investor group purchased it for $717 million.

(djwm)