Intel has bought networking chip maker Lantiq in its quest to increase the amount of devices in your house connected to the internet.
The goal of the acquisition, Intel said on Monday, is to use Munich-based Lantiq's expertise to improve its cable gateway business to provide customers with new home computing gadgets and ways to connect devices to their homes, according to PCWorld. Expanding offers to gateway markets like DSL, LTE and fiber is another big priority.
The deal shows the Santa Clara, Calif.-based chip maker's interest in the Internet of Things (IoT) with its goal of connecting more devices to houses, and it also follows a year after the company launched its own IoT platform. Potential devices that could use Intel's chips include sensors and wearables.
Other tech giants focusing on home connection include Samsung, Google, Apple and Microsoft, ZDNet reported.
Intel's platform includes the IoT gateway, which develops hardware and software units to collect data from sensors and other devices so the company doesn't have to replace current infrastructure, PCWorld reported. The company said in December that this strategy allows consumers to connect devices that have never been a part of the network.
While neither company has disclosed the terms of the deal, Intel plans for the acquisition to close in about 90 days.
