Avast to buy AVG in $1.3B antivirus acquisition - CNET

Avast has announced plans to acquire AVG in a $1.3 billion deal that will combine the antivirus products of both companies.

On Thursday, the Prague, Czech Republic-based company said an agreement has been reached that will see AVG bought out in an all-cash deal, made possible through cash on hand and debt financing.

Avast will offer $25 per share to AVG investors, a premium of over 30 percent on current trading prices.

In a press release, Avast said the deal would give the antivirus provider a combined network of over 400 million endpoints, 160 million of which are mobile. These will "act as de facto sensors, providing information about malware to help detect and neutralize new threats as soon as they appear," according to the firm.

Using this data, Avast will then be able to boost its security and privacy products, and emerging markets such as security for inteet of things devices are of particular interest.