u-blox acquires IoT communication-as-a-service provider thingstream

MQTT, short for message queuing telemetry transport, has become a widely used data transfer protocol in the Internet of Things, along with MQTT‑SN, which is tailored to the needs of sensor networks. Designed for constrained environments characterized by low power and bandwidth requirements, MQTT transmits messages from one device to one or many others via a broker. “The acquisition of Thingstream and its platform accelerates u‑blox’s entry into a new dimension of our services business, the IoT Sphere, which will provide customers with a reliable, smart and secure solution to connect sensor data to their cloud enterprise,” said Thomas Seiler, CEO of u‑blox. “Our customers can focus on scaling their business rather than the complexities of acquiring and establishing a connectivity platform and maintaining the data flow management. We thus continue our prudent investment strategy of quickly integrating small high‑tech companies with promising future value.” The addition of Thingstream’s high‑performing team of 26 qualified staff will bring decades of experience in telecom services and IoT, augmenting u‑blox’s functional teams in R&D and sales and marketing. u‑blox acquired the company for CHF 10 million (EUR 9.47 millioner), plus coverage for some deferred staff retention. The acquisition has been successfully closed.