Intel Corp. [INTC] recently said it has completed its nearly $8 billion acquisition of McAfee, Inc., boosting the importance of security as part of the computer chip designer and manufacturer’s focus.

The deal was first announced last summer (Defense Daily, Aug. 20, 2010). Intel said that it will “bring the first fruits” of the new strategic partnership to the market later this year “with the intent of tackling security and the pervasive nature of computing threats in an entirely new way.”

“In the past, energy-efficient performance and Internet connectivity have defined computing requirements,” Renee James, senior vide president and general manager of Intel’s Software and Services Group, said in a statement. “Intel has added security as a third pillar of what people demand from their experiences with personal computers and other connected devices. Security challenges put the future potential of computing at risk.”