u?blox announced it has acquired IoT Communication?as?a-Service provider, Thingstream. Thingstream provides IoT connectivity solutions using the industry standard MQTT protocol.

MQTT (message queuing telemetry transport) and MQTT-SN, which addresses the needs of sensor networks, are being used for data transfer protocol in the IoT. The MQTT from Thingstream allows for data transfer within 600 telecom carriers in 190 countries. This is being completed without having to use a cellular data plan by transmitting MQTT-SN messages using 2G, 3G, LTE, or LTE-M networks.

"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 u?blox  CEO Thomas Seiler, in a press release. "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 acquisition of Thingstream adds 26 industry professionals to u-blox’s staff. According to u-blox, it acquired the company for CHF 10 million, plus coverage for some deferred staff retention. The acquisition has been successfully closed.

For more information, visit www.u-blox.com.