Established in 1997, u-blox is a designer and developer of semiconductors and modular products. The fabless electronic component provider conducts its operations from its global headquarters in Thalwil, Switzerland. The firm also maintains engineering centers in 16 locations across Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
u-blox creates products for companies operating in the automotive, asset tracking, datacom, Internet of Things (IoT), industrial, navigation, and telecommunications sectors. Its product portfolio includes cellular chips, narrowband (NB) IoT modules, short-range radio components, antennas, and positioning system in packages (SIPs).
In the late 1990s, u-blox began its existence after spinning off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. Back then, people did not utilize handheld electronic devices to give them directions from place to place. But the company’s leadership saw the remarkable potential of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) technology.
Because of that foresight, the firm released its first successful GNSS (global positioning system) product within a year. It followed that early triumph by expanding into Asia and the United States shortly thereafter.
In the 2000s, the company broke new ground by designing products for the telecommunications field, including the first GPS receiver for a mobile phone.
Subsequently, the firm developed new technologies that helped globalize the 3G and 4G networking standards.
Thanks to its continuing research efforts and several strategic acquisitions, u-blox is a global leader in GNSS and IoT fields.
The firm recently expanded its leadership within the navigation space with the launch of its u-blox M10 platform. The item is notable for its ability to track up to four GNSS constellations at one time, even in challenging environments. The line also features high radiofrequency sensitivity and minimal 12mW power consumption. The M10 is ideal for new asset tracking and smartwatch projects because of those characteristics and its tiny form factor.
u-blox will continue thriving by realizing the tremendous possibilities of its ever-shrinking products.