Clouds an' McAfee

Intel bought McAfee fo 60% over share price today - GigaOm:

Intel CEO Paul Otellini said in a statement: “In the past, energy-efficient performance and connectivity have defined computing requirements. Looking forward, security will join those as a third pillar of what people demand from all computing experiences.” The price Intel agreed to pay for McAfee — which had revenue of $2 billion in 2009 and has gross profit margins in the 80-percent range — is a 60-percent premium to its trading price prior to the announcement.

Quite - its all about The Cloud - but McAfee? And a 60% premium - $7.7bn for the thing, in cash - at exactly the time when many newer, cheaper (and dare I say better) security software companies are popping out the woodwork? Elsewhere its been justified as a deal "about mobile" but I don't get that either for the same reason as above.

I rather liked a comment on TechCrunch:

It’s simple really. McAfee’s software slows down your computer enough that you need a faster Intel CPU. Intel now has direct influence over the main driving factor behind people purchasing new PCs…

That is about the only way this makes any sort of sense to me at the moment. To be watched.....