Shane Snider, Senior Writer, InformationWeekFebruary 13, 20253 Min ReadSOPA Images Limited via Alamy StockObservability and IT management software company SolarWinds shocked the IT community with last weeks announcement that it would go private after a $4.4 billion acquisition by private equity firm Turn/River Capital.News of 2025s biggest-so-far technology deal was met with some skepticism by analysts and cybersecurity experts, who worry about the Turn/Rivers long-term plans and security implications. SolarWinds was the victim of a historic nation-state cyberattack that rocked the industry in 2021. Security experts worry what a transition to a privately held organization will mean for transparency going forward.Will Townsend, vice president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy took to X to suggest that the companys massive hack led to the sale. Going private through a PE is no surprise, he wrote. [SolarWinds] never did enough to reassure investors and customers that it had learned and implemented measures to prevent that epic supply chain hack from happening again.But in a live interview with InformationWeek, SolarWinds CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna says its the companys success even after the attack that drove Turn/Rivers acquisition play that led to the blockbuster deal. SolarWinds most recent financial report shows $200 million in revenue for the third quarter of 2024, a 6% year-over-year increase.Related:Probably the most significant reason why Turn/River was attracted to us is the fact that weve continued making progress on the SolarWinds platform and continue to make progress on every metric from a business standpoint when outside investors look at us, theyre obviously looking at the business trajectory, which is unquestionable at this point, he says.SolarWinds customers and partners should look forward to continued growth, Ramakrishna says.Customers should expect us to ramp faster innovations on our SolarWinds platform with our focus on time to value, time to remediate, and time to resolve, we are making good progress organically on all three of those dimensions and well be accelerating that progress.He says the company will also be making improvements to packaging and pricing. Customers should experience and expect everything from us that they have come to know and like about us. Hopefully, they should get more from us in terms of how we give them solutions that accelerate their business transformation.Questions of SecurityHow SolarWinds handles security going forward with the transition to a private entity will be watched closely by the cybersecurity industry. Brian Fox, co-founder and CTO of software supply chain management firm Sonatype, says the SolarWinds attack exposed the level of attacks on critical supply chains.Related:The SolarWinds hack perfectly showcased the rise of sophisticated software supply chain attacks, as it compromised high-profile networks, including those of nine US government agencies, Fox says in an email interview. As SolarWinds charts a new path forward, I can only hope that lessons learned would not be forgotten amid the organizational change.SolarWinds Ramakrishna says the company wants to allay those security concerns. I think its a well-placed fear But as I engage with the Turn/River team, one of my important emphases was on secure-by-design and the initiatives that I started back in 2021, he says. Theres a need for us to continue to help ensure transparency with customers, which then obviously leads to trust. I dont expect that to change.The acquisition will cost Turn/River $18.50 per share in an all-case deal. The purchase price represents a 35% premium on SolarWinds 90-day average stock price at the time of the deal.There is broad excitement, Ramakrishna says. People within the company view this as a great validation for their work. The team has worked super hard to get to this point, but we also realize that our jobs are never done. We just have to keep earning the trust of our customers and our partners on a daily basis. Its business as usual for us.Related:The deal still needs regulatory approval and is expected to close in the second quarter. Investment firms Thoma Bravo and Silver Lake, who hold 65% of the outstanding voting securities, approved the acquisition along with SolarWinds board of directors.About the AuthorShane SniderSenior Writer, InformationWeekShane Snider is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years of industry experience. He started his career as a general assignment reporter and has covered government, business, education, technology and much more. He was a reporter for the Triangle Business Journal, Raleigh News and Observer and most recently a tech reporter for CRN. He was also a top wedding photographer for many years, traveling across the country and around the world. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and two children.See more from Shane SniderNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also LikeWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore Reports