AirWatch

{{Short description|Enterprise mobility management software company, acquired by VMware in 2014}}  {{Infobox company | name = AirWatch | native_name = | native_name_lang =  | romanized_name = | trading_name = | logo_alt = | logo_padding = | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | image_caption = | type = | traded_as = VMW | ISIN = | predecessor =  | successor =  | founder = John Marshall | defunct =  | fate = Acquired by VMware, Inc. | coordinates = | area_served = | key_people = Alan Dabbiere, John Marshall | industry = Enterprise mobility management software | genre =  | products = AirWatch | brands = AirWatch, AirWatch by VMware, VMware AirWatch, Wandering WiFi | production = | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum =  | equity = | owner =  | members = | num_employees = | parent = VMware | divisions = | subsid = | footnotes = | intl =  | former_name = Wandering WiFi | foundation = {{start date|2003}} in Atlanta, Georgia, USA | location_city = Atlanta | location_country = USA | locations =  | homepage = {{URL|http://www.airwatch.com/}} }} '''AirWatch''' was an Atlanta-based provider of enterprise mobility management (EMM) software. VMware acquired AirWatch in 2014 <ref> {{cite web |title=VMWare Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire AirWatch |url=http://www.air-watch.com/about/news/press-releases/press-releases/2014/01/vmware-to-acquire-airwatch|website=air-watch.com}} </ref> and rebranded the product as Workspace ONE Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) in 2018.<ref name="bayton-2019" /> After Broadcom acquired VMware in 2023, the End-User Computing division was sold to KKR and rebranded as Omnissa in 2024, which now develops Workspace ONE UEM.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Omnissa now independent with the close of KKR acquisition |url=https://www.omnissa.com/insights/news/official-launch-pr |access-date=2025-09-17 |website=Omnissa |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=A |first=Samrhitha |last2=Sen |first2=Anirban |last3=A |first3=Samrhitha |last4=Sen |first4=Anirban |date=2024-02-26 |title=Chipmaker Broadcom sells remote-access unit to KKR in $4 billion deal |url=https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/chipmaker-broadcom-sells-remote-access-unit-kkr-4-billion-deal-2024-02-26/ |access-date=2025-09-17 |work=Reuters |language=en}}</ref>

== History == [[File:AirWatch corporate building.jpg|thumb|right|AirWatch headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia]] AirWatch was founded in 2003 as '''Wandering WiFi''' by John Marshall, who served as president and CEO. Alan Dabbiere has been the chairman since 2006.<ref> {{cite web|last=Rasmussen|first=Patty|title=Power Players: Technology Ambassador|url=http://www.georgiatrend.com/June-2013/Power-Players-Technology-Ambassador/|work=Georgia Trend Magazine|accessdate=8 August 2013}} </ref><ref> {{cite web|last=Hockenson|first=Lauren|title=You're no longer a startup...so now what?|url=https://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2013/03/11/no-longer-a-startup/?fromcat=all|work=The Next Web|publisher=The Next Web, Inc.|accessdate=8 August 2013}} </ref> In February 2013, AirWatch received its first round of funding from Insight Venture Partners and Accel.<ref> {{cite web|last=Ho|first=Victoria|title=AirWatch Gets $200 Million Series A Funding|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/02/25/airwatch-gets-200-million-series-a-funding/|work=TechCrunch|accessdate=7 August 2013}} </ref> In July 2013, the company acquired Motorola Solutions's MSP (Mobility Services Platform) seeking to extend its portfolio to ruggedized devices.<ref> {{cite web|last=Kim|first=Kathy|title=AirWatch Acquires Motorola's Mobility Services Platform|url=http://www.crn.com/news/channel-programs/240157554/airwatch-acquires-motorolas-mobility-services-platform.htm|work=CRN|publisher=UBM|accessdate=8 August 2013}} </ref>

On February 24, 2014, the company was acquired by VMware, Inc for 1.5 billion,<ref> {{Cite web |last=Chatterjee |first=Soham |last2=Alawadhi |first2=Neha |date=22 January 2014 |title=VMware to buy mobile security firm AirWatch for $1.54 billion |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/business/vmware-to-buy-mobile-security-firm-airwatch-for-1-54-billion-idUSBREA0L0WY/ |access-date=4 July 2024 |website=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=VMware buys AirWatch for $1.54 billion, acquires mobility strategy |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/vmware-buys-airwatch-for-1-54-billion-acquires-mobility-strategy/ |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=ZDNET |language=en}} </ref> and the EMM product eventually was rebranded as AirWatch by VMware and then VMware AirWatch. In May 2018 the enterprise product was rebranded to Workspace ONE Unified Endpoint Management with the release of version 9.4.<ref name="bayton-2019"> {{Cite web|url=https://bayton.org/2018/05/android-enterprise-first-airwatch-9-4-lands-with-a-new-name-and-focus/|title=Android Enterprise first: AirWatch 9.4 lands with a new name and focus {{!}} Jason Bayton|last=Bayton|first=Jason|website=bayton.org|access-date=2019-04-10}} </ref> The product continued to sometimes be referred to as ''VMware Workspace ONE UEM powered by AirWatch''.<ref> {{Cite web|url=https://www.vmware.com/products/workspace-one/unified-endpoint-management.html|title=What is Unified Endpoint Management (UEM) {{!}} Workspace ONE|website=VMware|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-26}} </ref>

AirWatch UK Limited was dissolved on 24 April 2018 with the company's final absorption into VMware as a business unit rather than a wholly owned entity.

== References ==

{{reflist}} Category:Companies based in Atlanta Category:Information technology companies of the United States Category:Software companies established in 2003 Category:2003 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Defunct software companies of the United States Category:VMware