N2H2 acquisition by SmartFilter (Secure Computing) censorware is done
It's the end of an era (in many ways). N2H2, the censorware company about which I've written much, has finally been acquired. It's been bought by another company Secure Computing, which makes the SmartFilter censorware. I discussed this earlier. What's new is that the acquisition process has been completed.
Thursday, October 16, 2003
Secure Computing seals takeover of N2H2
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFFSecure Computing Corp. has completed its acquisition of N2H2, a Seattle company that provides Internet filters to libraries, schools and businesses.
San Jose, Calif.-based Secure Computing -- a publicly traded software company with second quarter revenue of $18.2 million -- paid $19.9 million to acquire N2H2's outstanding shares. N2H2's Seattle office will remain open with 27 employees.
Twenty-one employees have been laid off, whereas 23 others will remain at the company in transitional jobs for one to six months, a company spokeswoman said.
Pretty good outcome for a censorware company which had negative book value for so long, up to and including the time of being bought. Though no word on how David Burt, N2H2 PR person and long-time censorware advocate, has fared. Still, even if he's part of the layoffs from the buy-out, he won't have done any worse than many good people who lose their jobs in a downsizing or merger. And I'm sure that the Religious Right will always have a place for him.
For me, this acquisition means that even if N2H2's censorware survives in any form, there's even more money and resources available for a lawsuit againt me. It's another nail in the coffin, that I've been driven to quit censorware research, and have to write-off much material I can't publish.
By Seth Finkelstein | posted in censorware | on October 22, 2003 11:59 PM (Infothought permalink) | Followups
