Swiss firm U-blox is best known for its GPS modules but it also plays in 2G and 3G chips, and now it has its eyes on 4G, with two acquisitions ‘ of UK software defined modem specialist Cognovo, and another UK company, 4M Wireless, which provides LTE protocol stacks.
U-blox reportedly paid $16.5m for Cognovo and $9m for 4M and will use its new assets to create an LTE baseband platform with integrated GPS. Reference platforms, in which the various chips and the communications protocols are all pre-integrated, are an important way to accelerate time to market for new standards, and support vendors of low cost devices and embedded modules.
U-blox said it would combine its new technologies, and its GPS expertise, to create a wireless modem platform based on wholly-owned IP. “This allows us to meet market demand for connected systems that require positioning, connectivity and application specific functionality on a single integrated circuit,” said CEO Thomas Seiler in a statement. “This new foundation broadens our serviceable market, and will increase our margins in the automotive, consumer and industrial sectors. Our first 4G product is planned for 2013.”
4M licenses its stacks to various modem makers, including Intel’s Blue Wonder unit, Wintegra (now part of PMC-Sierra), and another software defined pioneer, Sandbridge (acquired by Wuxi DSP). It also has deals with IP firms like Ceva and Tensilica on the DSP side, and MIPS.
The 4M deal is expected to close by September while the Cognovo deal has been completed already.