Buying and selling UWB companies

Political and finanancial machinations continue to affect the world of UWB (Ultra Wideband) technology.

I reported in the last issue of Incisor that WiQuest had gone to the wall, and also that word on the grapevine was that other UWB companies were in big trouble as a result of not being able to raise 'next round' financing. Well, the latest I hear is that two of the UWB traiblazers - Staccato Communications and Artimi - are to merge. This followed stories elsewhere in the media a couple of weeks ago that Artimi had in fact closed the doors and was also out of business.

So, I say merge, but this seems more of an acquisition than a merger. Staccato has managed to raise $20 million in new round of funding, and the organisation that will continue to trade post-merger will be called Staccato Communications.

Is this the last of the big changes in the world of UWB? It seems unlikely, and there is still the High Speed Bluetooth relationship to be resolved. We will just have to maintain a watching brief. In the meantime, we (Incisor) have a new UWB-based project. We will travel to Las Vegas for CES, where we will film a movie for the WiMedia Alliance that will position UWB today, and which is intended to publicise the many, and entirely valid messages that the UWB companies want to distribute to the world.

Las Vegas again then ..... More late nights, endless jingling slot machines .....

Ho hum - it's all in a day's work!