Light News
AT&T has sold its cybersecurity services group and formed a joint venture with WillJam Ventures.
This week, AT&T made headlines by finalizing the sale of its cybersecurity division to create a new independent managed cybersecurity services business, LevelBlue. With over 1000 employees spread across 10 countries, LevelBlue is now majority-owned by WillJam Ventures, with AT&T holding a minority ownership stake.
Rumors about the potential sale started circulating earlier this year. Speculations suggested that this move was part of AT&T’s efforts to reduce debt accumulated from previous acquisitions like DirecTV and TimeWarner, as well as fees from the unsuccessful attempt to acquire T-Mobile.
LevelBlue encompasses AT&T’s managed service business, cybersecurity consulting business, and assets from AT&T’s acquisition of AlienVault in 2018. Robert McCullen, chairman and CEO of LevelBlue and founder of WillJam Ventures, emphasized that AT&T will remain an “alliance partner” and that the joint venture will allow them to focus on investing in people and technology to better serve their customers in the cybersecurity realm.
With a client base that includes most of the Fortune 1000 companies in the U.S. and various government entities, a smooth transition process is crucial. McCullen mentioned that preparations for data migration and system integration have been ongoing since the announcement of the divestiture in November 2023.
By separating from AT&T, LevelBlue gains the flexibility to collaborate with other operators while still benefiting from AT&T’s network-embedded security strategy. The company aims to maintain partnerships with established vendors like Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, and Cisco, while exploring new partnerships to enhance their offerings for different business needs.
LevelBlue also plans to establish an internal research team, Blue Labs, focusing on threat research and developing new products utilizing AI and ML technologies. The company will continue to invest in enhancing their threat intelligence capabilities and explore potential mergers and acquisitions.
AT&T highlighted that LevelBlue’s consulting team comprises former AT&T Security employees with extensive experience in cybersecurity and up-to-date certifications. This team will provide continuous assessment, planning, and advisory services to clients.
Rick Welday, executive vice president of AT&T Enterprise Markets, praised the launch of LevelBlue as a “significant milestone” that allows them to stay ahead of cyber threats and drive innovation in the cybersecurity sector.
Stay informed about the latest telecom news worldwide with Total Telecom’s daily newsletter
More news:
Wayve secures $1bn in funding for AI-powered autonomous vehicles
Apple working on own AI data centre chips, reports claim
NTT looks to grab stake in Philippine data centres from PLDT