SAN DIEGO -- Websense, Inc. (NASDAQ:WBSN) today closed its acquisition of SurfControl plc, as the scheme of arrangement relating to the recommended offer for SurfControl plc, at a price of 700 pence per share, has now become effective. The final purchase price is approximately £204 million, including deferred compensation and stock option expense. The acquisition represents a major milestone in the execution of Websense’s growth strategy to expand its security product portfolio and customer base through both internal development and acquisition.

As a result, Websense offers a powerful set of content security solutions that intelligently protect customers from external malicious attacks and internal information leaks, delivered as downloadable software, on an appliance, and now as an on-demand hosted service. With the acquisition of SurfControl, Websense has doubled its customer base to more than 50,000 organizations worldwide and now protects content for more than 42 million employees.

The company’s products now include a complete set of content protection solutions, including Web security, e-mail and spam filtering, and information leak prevention, tailored to meet the specific requirements of small, medium and enterprise-sized organizations. Over time, Websense plans to enhance SurfControl’s on-demand platform to deliver other hosted content protection services, such as information leak prevention services and advanced Web security offerings based on Websense® ThreatSeeker™ technology.

SurfControl’s on-demand platform also bolsters Websense’s ability to discover Internet-based threats. Websense is the technology leader in Web threat discovery. Websense ThreatSeeker technology scans more than 600 million Web sites per week identifying and categorizing Web-based security threats. SurfControl’s on-demand platform, which processes more than 350 million emails per week, gives Websense more visibility into email-based threats such as spam. The combination of Websense and SurfControl technologies offers unparalleled Internet threat intelligence spanning both the Web and email.

“Over the last year, Websense dramatically expanded its product portfolio to offer a full range of content protection software, Web security, messaging security, and information leak prevention,” said Brian Burke, Program Director, Security Products and Services, IDC. “Adding technologies and delivery platforms in high-growth content security markets provides its customers and channels with a broader range of security options. It also helps Websense further carve out its unique niche in the broader IT security market.”

Websense Inc. (Nasdaq: WBSN)