STMicroelectronics is acquiring the near field communication (NFC) and radio frequency identification (RFID) business from sensor vendor ams for $77.8 million in an all-cash transaction.
The deal will focus on the intellectual property, technologies and products that will complement ST’s microcontroller business for mobile devices, wearables, banking, identification, industrial, automotive and the Internet of Things (IoT). ams will retain its sensor-related NFC and RFID tags business and design capabilities to create wireless IoT sensor solutions and support upcoming sensor nodes.
ST says the acquired RFID and NFC business will open up growth opportunities for the company to roll out mobile and IoT devices that work with ST’s microcontrollers. The company already has its first NFC controller from the acquired assets sampling as well as a new high-performance, highly integrated system-in-package solution that combines this NFC controller with ST’s secure element.
For ams, the divestiture of the RFID and NFC business is part of its ongoing efforts to clear its focus on its sensor solutions and wireless sensor solutions for IoT applications. ams plans to do this by combining NFC and RFID sensors into its portfolio of sensors.
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