Sony acquires chip company Altair

Sony is set to acquire Altair Semiconductor, an Israel-based developer of high-performance, singlemode Long Term Evolution chipsets, for US$212 million. 

LTE is widely used in data communication for mobile phones and is also expected to play a pivotal role in the interconnection of the Internet of Things (IoT). Going forward, more and more ‘things’ are expected to be equipped with cellular chipsets, realising a connected environment in which things can reliably and securely access network services that leverage the power of cloud computing.

Sony expects to complete the acquisition in early February 2016. With the acquisition, Sony aims to not only expand Altair’s existing business, but also to move forward with research on and development of new sensing technologies. By combining Sony’s sensing technologies — such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and image sensors — with Altair’s modem chip technology, and by further evolving both, Sony will strive to develop a new breed of cellular-connected, sensing component devices.

With the markets for wearable and IoT devices expected to continue to expand, Sony aims to deliver component devices that feature both sensing and communication capabilities, as well as new LTE solutions that leverage the strengths of these component devices.