Google has said that it will pay $32 billion to acquire cybersecurity company Wiz. The deal is more than double the previous record-breaking $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility in 2012, making it Alphabet’s largest acquisition to date.  

The increasing demand for secure cloud services seems to have fueled the company’s relentless pursuit of this transaction. While significant security events, like the CrowdStrike failure last year, have raised worries, the rise in generative AI has caused internet businesses to scramble for cloud infrastructure. With the use of AI-powered security capabilities, Wiz’s software can detect important threats in cloud infrastructure and enable developers to address them before they become problems. Google Cloud could significantly outperform Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure in a market where it has historically lagged behind if Wiz’s products are combined. Google stated in its acquisition announcement that Wiz will offer its clients enhanced and more affordable protection for a variety of cloud and code environments.

Wiz’s solutions will remain functional and accessible on all major cloud platforms, such as Oracle Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services, even after the acquisition.

“Google Cloud and Wiz share a joint vision to make cybersecurity more accessible and simpler to use for organizations of any size and industry,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, in a press release announcing the acquisition. “Together, Google Cloud and Wiz will turbocharge improved cloud security and the ability to use multiple clouds,” added Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google.