--- begin forwarded text Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 08:37:16 -0500 To: Philodox Clips List <clips@philodox.com> From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah@shipwright.com> Subject: SafeNet to Buy nCipher? <http://www.techworld.com/blogs/index.cfm?blogID=1&entryID=144&printerfriendly=1> www.techworld.com : the UK's infrastructure & network knowledge centre Decrypting nCipher John Dunn February 16, 2006 Well done Alex van Someren, the cheery and mightily on-the-ball CEO and co-founder of Cambridge encryption company nCipher. News reached us last week that the company is in talks to be acquired by SafeNet for something around the $150 million mark. I say "encryption company" even though I know van Someren wouldn't like it to be pigeonholed in such a narrow manner. When the company was founded a decade ago by him and his brother, Nicko van Someren, encryption look like a geek's last refuge. Latterly, it has turned out to be a decent business as people have woken up to the fundamental power of the concept to stop the malevolent running off with the most valuable thing any company has in its possession - information. We understand that CEO Van Someren will not stay with the company though his brother - considered the engineering whiz - will. Does Alex have another company in him as some have speculated? We will see. Techworld interviewed him a while back, so judge for yourself. Another good company bites the dust or will SafeNet confound the law that seems to have ruled technology takeovers of recent years and take nCipher's intriguing technology onwards and upwards? -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' --- end forwarded text -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'