Once a key player in Central Mass., VMware will be acquired for $61B

Photo | File VMware, which has ties to Dell and EMC Corp. in Hopkinton, has been acquired by Broadcam for $61 billion.

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By Katherine Hamilton

VMware, once a subsidiary of Hopkinton-based Dell EMC, will be acquired by microchip maker Broadcom for $61 billion.

VMware is a cloud computing and virtualization technology company which offers tools to allow multiple operating systems to run on the same virtualized computer. While the company is based in Palo Alto, Calif., it has major operations in Burlington and Boston.

In 2004, about six years after its founding, VMware was acquired by Hopkinton tech firm EMC Corp. (now Dell EMC) for $625 million. In 2015, EMC Corp. announced it would merge with Texas-based Dell Technologies in a record-breaking $67-billion deal.

While VMware was initially included in EMC and Dell’s merger, Dell EMC said in 2021 it would spin off its remaining stake in VMware. Dell CEO Michael Dell retained 41% of VMware’s stock following the spin off, according to a report by tech magazine CRN.

Dell Technologies is the largest manufacturer in Central Massachusetts with 8,800 local employees and $92.14 billion in 2020 revenue.

Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware represents the largest-ever takeover by a chipmaker, according to Bloomberg. Broadcom is based in San Jose, Calif.