Who’s talking about Atmel’s IoT expansion?

Earlier today, Atmel announced a definitive agreement to acquire Newport Media, Inc., a move which further expands the company’s wireless portfolio to include Wi-Fi 802.11n and Bluetooth. In just hours, the acquisition was covered by a number of prominent tech publications, including Reuters, VentureBeat, PC World, Bloomberg, Fox Business and eWeek.

Soham Chatterjee, Reuters 

“Atmel said its chips paired with Newport’s gears can be used in a variety of products ranging from home and building automation equipments to consumer devices that require longer battery life.”

Dean Takahashi, Venture Beat

“The Internet of Things market is expected to be huge as everyday devices become smarter and connected to the Internet. Atmel, which makes microcontrollers and touchscreen tech, wants to be a player in this emerging market. By adding Newport Media, a maker of low-power Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, Atmel will expand its portfolio for the Internet of Things, where large numbers of sensors have to communicate data wirelessly to the Internet.”

Agam Shah, PCWorld

“Arduino boards are largely based on Atmel’s MCUs, but mostly don’t have wireless due to their size and cost constraints. With devices becoming more connected, Atmel will be able to package wireless on electronics or developer boards used to prototype wearable devices and robots.”

Interested in learning more? You can read the full press release here.

 

Atmel strengthens its IoT leadership

Atmel today announced a definitive agreement to acquire Newport Media, Inc., a leading provider of high performance low power Wi-Fi and Bluetooth solutions, that will enable Atmel to offer designers and Makers the industry’s most complete wireless portfolio of smart, connected devices for the Internet of Things (IoT).

“This acquisition immediately adds 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to our offerings and will accelerate our introduction of low-energy Bluetooth products,” explains Atmel CEO Steve Laub. “Combined with our existing Wi-Fi and Zigbee solutions and industry leading microcontroller portfolio, Atmel is positioned for substantial growth in the Internet of Things marketplace.”

Expanding Atmel’s already broad SmartConnect™ wireless portfolio, NMI’s 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth certified products offer innovative, highly integrated solutions that will accelerate seamless communication and connectivity for the Internet of Things. NMI’s products combined with Atmel’s ultra-low power microcontrollers (MCUs) are designed for a broad spectrum of applications including industrial, home and building automation, and consumer products requiring smaller form factors and longer battery life.

Analysts at IDC recently confirmed the arrival of a connected future as the worldwide market for IoT solutions is expected to increase from $1.9 trillion in 2013 to a staggering $7.1 trillion in 2020.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel is well-positioned to benefit from the rapidly evolving Internet of Things. According to Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Andrew Uerkwitz, Atmel is one of a handful of companies that makes MCUs that will increasingly be in demand, with today’s announcement further bolstering its leadership position in the IoT market.

Interested in learning more about the IoT? You’ll want to check out our extensive Bits & Pieces IoT article archive here.