As I sifted through my e-mail on Saturday morning, I came across a note from Patricia Sueltz, CEO of SurControl. On April 26, Websense made a pre-conditional offer to acquire all of the shares of SurfControl plc.In her words, “The proposed acquisition by Websense represents another positive step in the growth of SurfControl’s business. If the transaction is consummated, SurfControl would become part of a larger organization better positioned to compete with the larger players in the growing market for Internet security services.”Wow. Maybe this comes as no surprise to you, but it is big news to me. Assuming this goes through, the #1 Web filtering company was buying #2. This is a bit like Greyhound buying Trailways in the bus business. If you follow this market at all, this is pretty big news. For more details on the announcement, you can go to the Websense or Surfcontrol portal announcements. First, let me say that I do not own any SurfControl or Websense stock. Michigan State Government is a big user of SurfControl products, with over 50,000 users on an enterprise contract. I have been a big fan of SurfControl, and as a partner of ours, we have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars a month by blocking inappropriate content – including everything from spyware to porn. We rely on them on a 7 x 24 basis, and we’ve seen a big ROI using their web filtering. A few years back, we went through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process which largely came down to Websense or SurfControl. I know from conversations with many CSO colleagues that similar efforts have occurred all around the country. After we picked SurfControl, we’ve also invested quite a lot of time and money in training our technical staff on the SurfControl products. Assuming this deal goes through, what does it mean for Michigan and other SurfControl customers? The announcement lists many benefits such as combined research, a financially sound future, and the ability to compete against companies such as Symantec, Trend Micro, and McAfee. Maybe, those positives will pan out. Still, I worry about the eventual cost of migrating to new software – and the added training which will be required. I’m also concerned about what this means to pricing. I’ve spent the past few years listening to SurfControl salespeople telling me why they are better than WebSense. Now the Yankees might merge with the Red Sox. If it happens, I have many questions.What are your thoughts on Websense buying SurfControl? Related content opinion 3 security career lessons from 'Back to the Future' You don't need to be able to predict the future to have a successful security career, but you had darned well better be able to learn from the past. By Dan Lohrmann Jan 12, 2021 6 mins Careers Security interview Secrets of industry-hopping CSOs Who says you can't change industries? Veteran security leaders Mark Weatherford and Cheri McGuire teach you how it’s done. By Dan Lohrmann Mar 02, 2020 12 mins Careers Security opinion Why security pros are addicted to FUD and what you can do about it Despite professing anti-FUD rhetoric, cyber experts fan the flames, breathlessly sharing the details of the latest data breaches. It's a risky addiction that can lead to security apathy in enterprises. Here's how to harness it. By Dan Lohrmann Sep 06, 2018 7 mins Security opinion Bridging the smart cities security divide There are plenty of organizations that seem to be working on answers to secure smart cities, but in many ways it's like the early days of cloud computing with everyone building their own solutions. By Dan Lohrmann Feb 01, 2018 6 mins Internet of Things Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe