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Google to buy Wiz for $32B

reuters.com

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Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#101

Post by echelon »

hyperbrainer wrote: post #80
orliesaurus wrote: post #64

biggest Google acquisition yet or what?

Yes. The company’s previous biggest deal was its $12.5bn acquisition of Motorola Mobility in 2012, which it sold two years later for $2.9bn. [0] [0] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/18/google-pa...

The patents they received from Motorola effectively put an end to Apple's Android witch hunt.

Prior to this acquisition, Apple was determined to sue Android out of existence. They were on a rage-fueled mission to end a product they viewed as a copycat, and they knew Google didn't hold any patents to defend themselves.

When Google acquired Motorola's patents, the tables turned and it was Google that could end Apple or at least turn it into mutually assured destruction.

Those patents alone were worth a hundred billion for the headache they saved Google and the market position they opened up.

This was one of Google's smartest moves of all time.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#102

Post by film42 »

I'm surprised this acquisition didn't happen sooner. The first time I used Wiz I knew a big cloud provider would be snatching them up at some point. Why? Because every enterprise that decides to use cloud providers then needs to find someone to keep that cloud environment safe.

But also, and may more important, you get to see everyones cloud usage, across all providers, with a high level of permissions. Said differently, Google can now target customers with massive spend across other cloud providers and work to migrate them to GCP, at a price that's just cheap enough to over come the switching cost.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#103

Post by yen223 »

ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #87

I'm marginally in the IT space... Is there anything to my reaction that at least in dollar terms this is a multiple of the dollar amount of what Whatsapp was acquired back in the day, which was a large consumer facing product that I could see was quite literally taking over messaging all over the world, and this is a... platform I've never heard of? I'm just trying to make sense of the numbers.

I don't think WhatsApp had the same kind of revenue that Wiz has, even normalised for 2014 numbers.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#104

Post by archsyscall »

This deal might be more than just strengthening cloud security—it could be a strategic move for Google’s multi-cloud positioning. If Wiz’s customer insights help drive migrations to GCP, the $32B price tag starts to make more sense beyond just a tech acquisition

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#106

Post by byteknight »

film42 wrote: post #102

I'm surprised this acquisition didn't happen sooner. The first time I used Wiz I knew a big cloud provider would be snatching them up at some point. Why? Because every enterprise that decides to use cloud providers then needs to find someone to keep that cloud environment safe. But also, and may more important, you get to see everyones cloud usage, across all providers, with a high level of permissions. Said differen…

How on earth does buying Wiz force other developers to move? I think the tinfoil is too tight.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#108

Post by neom »

film42 wrote: post #102

I'm surprised this acquisition didn't happen sooner. The first time I used Wiz I knew a big cloud provider would be snatching them up at some point. Why? Because every enterprise that decides to use cloud providers then needs to find someone to keep that cloud environment safe. But also, and may more important, you get to see everyones cloud usage, across all providers, with a high level of permissions. Said differen…

If you'd be so kind for those of us that haven't touched cloud in 5/10 years, what is Wiz? from reading the google announcement: solving the supply chain hybrid cloud security issues? I could google I know but you seem to know what you are talking about, so if you'd be so kind. :)

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#109

Post by IshKebab »

ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #87

I'm marginally in the IT space... Is there anything to my reaction that at least in dollar terms this is a multiple of the dollar amount of what Whatsapp was acquired back in the day, which was a large consumer facing product that I could see was quite literally taking over messaging all over the world, and this is a... platform I've never heard of? I'm just trying to make sense of the numbers.

True, but the vast majority of people spend zero money on WhatsApp. I actually have no idea how I would give them money. There are no adverts, the metadata is not valuable, and no companies even use WhatsApp business, at least in the UK. Their UK revenue is basically 0, despite 100% market share.

This is an enterprise product in a space where companies spend millions of dollars.

Still seems like an insane amount though.

Re: Google to buy Wiz for $32B

#110

Post by disgruntledphd2 »

yen223 wrote: post #103
ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #87

I'm marginally in the IT space... Is there anything to my reaction that at least in dollar terms this is a multiple of the dollar amount of what Whatsapp was acquired back in the day, which was a large consumer facing product that I could see was quite literally taking over messaging all over the world, and this is a... platform I've never heard of? I'm just trying to make sense of the numbers.

I don't think WhatsApp had the same kind of revenue that Wiz has, even normalised for 2014 numbers.

Revenue and profit are very different. Like, it's easy to pump revenue at a loss.

I don't really see the benefits of this acquisition for Google, but congrats to the Wiz team!

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