Wireless chip specialist CSR has acquired Ubinetics, the 3G modem and protocol software developer, for $48m in cash.

CSR said the acquisition would allow it to drive software developments for Bluetooth, wireless LAN and ultra-wideband comms, along with extending its reach into mobile phones.

"In the mobile phone market we see both call hand-off between cellular and local area networks and high speed data handling as key drivers for the widespread deployment of PAN and LAN," said James Collier, technical director and co-founder of CSR.

"Looking ahead, we plan to extend the range of our products in order to simplify the complex integration task of the mixed hardware/software and multi-standard system that a cellular phone has become."

In May, Ubinetics announced the sale of its test arm to Aeroflex for £46m.  The CSR acquisition is conditional upon the Aeroflex deal going through.

That sale has left Ubinetics with around 250 engineers, with 170 in Bangalore and China, and the remainder in the UK.

UbiNetics spun out of PA Consulting in 1999 and in the last six years the firm has grown from a 16 employee operation to a company with a £24m turnover.

Both CSR and Ubinetics are based in Cambridge.

www.csr.com
www.ubinetics.com