Semtech has announced plans to acquire fellow chip vendor Sierra Wireless in an effort to accelerate its push into making internet of things components. Sierra has a cloud-based IoT management platform called AirVantage, which lets customers manage all of their device subscriptions and optimize communications of their devices. Semtech was working on its own cloud platform for managing IoT deployments more efficiently, and Sierra could give it a jump start.
This acquisition brings together two important technologies for the future of IoT i.e. LoRa and cellular to enable the digitization of the industrial world with a comprehensive chip-to-Cloud platform. Semtech expects the combination of Sierra Wireless’ cellular capabilities across its modules, gateways and managed connectivity together with Semtech’s LoRa-enabled end nodes to create a uniquely differentiated IoT portfolio which will enable a plethora of new IoT use cases to be conceived.
In addition, the combination of Sierra Wireless’ Cloud services offerings and Semtech’s LoRa Cloud services will bring together a future Cloud services portfolio offering that will include enhanced security, provisioning, device management, and geolocation capabilities for power optimized IoT applications.
With Semtech’s sensor chips and Sierra’s IoT connectivity, the two firms see potential in the following markets:
- Supply chain, logistics and asset management
- Utilities, including water, gas and electric metering
- Smart cities and building, including air quality monitoring and public safety
- Smart agriculture and species protection
