Japan's KDDI has announced plans to acquire Soracom, a local secure IoT communications platform provider.
The Soracom platform combines over-the-air connectivity with cloud capability to provide secure communication optimized for IoT and M2M.
Since launching in Japan in September 2015, Soracom has expanded operations to the US and Europe, initiated service in over 120 countries and built up a base of around 7,000 customers worldwide.
The company has also established an IoT partner ecosystem consisting of around 350 registered partners.
Through the acquisition, Soracom will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of KDDI. The two companies will then collaborate on opportunities combining KDDI's IoT business space and Soracom's communications platform and promote global expansion of the joint IOT platform.
KDDI said Soracom's existing and future customers will continue to be served without any changes of service.
KDDI has been providing IoT and M2M services for over 15 years serving customers in industries including smart meters and remote monitoring. The company is also developing next-generation networks such as LTE-M and 5G to prepare for future IoT services.