u-blox acquires automotive short range modules biz from Lesswire

Date: 02/12/2014
Swiss based u-blox announces the acquisition of the automotive-grade Bluetooth and Wi-Fi module products and a team of key engineers from lesswire AG, a subsidiary of the PRETTL group. Founded in 1999, lesswire is a privately owned company that provides robust vehicle-ready short range wireless communication modules to Tier-1 automotive electronics suppliers in Europe and Asia.

The purchase includes off-the-shelf products, equipment and a team of experts in the area of connected car and short range connectivity modules.

“The addition of the automotive modules from lesswire positions u-blox as a strategic supplier of wireless technology to the fast growing market for in-car and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication systems,“ said Herbert Blaser, VP of short range products at u-blox. “Besides actual high demand for in-car connectivity, next generation smart cars will have advanced safety and collision avoidance systems that depend on robust, reliable communications. Building on u-blox’ leadership in automotive positioning electronics, this acquisition adds a key enabling technology to our portfolio. We welcome our new colleagues in Berlin to build on the synergies between our companies.”

lesswire’s module operations in Berlin to become a u-blox product center for automotive-grade short range radio modules.

In a separate release u-blox has also announced it has provided key global positioning technology to Cohda Wireless’ Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) equipment, collectively called “V2X”

Cohda’s DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communications) based V2X system uses accurate satellite positioning with embedded dead reckoning technology provided by u-blox. The system enables, for example, early warning of an imminent collision, oncoming traffic, presence of road workers and unsafe speed based on vehicles in the vicinity. V2X will be a key technology for the next generation of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) as well as autonomous vehicles.

Author: Srinivasa Reddy N
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