Zentri specializes in cloud-controlled solutions.
Silicon Labs, a chip and software developer focused on the internet of things, is securing a ready market for its solutions with the purchase of Wi-Fi module maker Zentri.
Zentri, which was formerly called ACKme, is based in San Jose, California, and Silicon Labs is based in Austin, Texas. The two companies did not disclose the purchase price.
Zentri specializes in cloud-controlled Wi-Fi solutions, with its connected product platform using components connected with standard interfaces. Zentri’s operating system is designed to support IoT devices and is compatible with Zentri hardware modules and hardware from major semiconductor manufacturers. The company says its operating system already powers hundreds of thousands of products, and supports a wide range of battery-operated devices and products that need high response or low latency. The company also offers a mobile application software development kit to enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE connectivity from an iOS or Android mobile app.
Zentri’s device management service is said to allow iOS devices to be provisioned with a unique secure identity and configuration. Its cloud connector allows secure delivery to the cloud of analytics captured from the connected device. Customers can use a third-party cloud service provider like Amazon Web Services or they can use Zentri’s cloud infrastructure.
“Silicon Labs is proud to join forces with Zentri,” said Tyson Tuttle, CEO of Silicon Labs. “This acquisition builds upon our strategy to deliver comprehensive, multiprotocol silicon and software solutions to securely connect IoT products to the cloud. Zentri’s Wi-Fi expertise, software and tools will extend our multiprotocol connectivity portfolio to a wider range of power-sensitive IoT end node applications.”
The chipmaker said Zentri’s technology makes IoT development possible for a range of software engineers by eliminating the need for wireless design expertise and providing a library of cloud-connected applications. This in turn allows IoT device makers to focus on differentiating their products and speeding time to market, the company said.