Microchip buys wireless module maker

LONDON – Microcontroller vendor Microchip Technology Inc. has acquired Roving Networks Inc. (Los Gatos, Calif.), a supplier of WiFi and Bluetooth wireless modules for an undisclosed sum of money.

Roving Networks (Los Gatos, Calif.), founded in 2000, is a privately held, fabless developer of Wi-Fi certified transceiver ICs and FCC certified Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules. Microchip (Chandler, Ariz.) did not disclose how much it paid for Roving Networks but said the transaction is expected to be immediately accretive on a non-GAAP basis.

Roving Networks offers both iOS and Android support for wireless modules and expects to benefit from the market for smartphone accessories, said Mike Conrad, Roving Networks' CEO

"The ubiquity of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity is fueling a growing number of embedded applications that take advantage of this rapidly expanding wireless infrastructure," said Ganesh Moorthy, Microchip's COO, in a statement.

The Roving Networks team, headed by Conrad, will continue to operate out of its Los Gatos office, Microchip said.