US cable firm Comcast is expected to increase its focus on Wi-Fi and the Internet of Things (IoT) after purchasing Californian tech firm PowerCloud.
PowerCloud, which is based in Palo Alto, specialises in building analytics software and web monitoring tools, with Wi-Fi management platform Skydog one of its flagship products.
According to techcrunch.com, Comcast isn’t planning to give Skydog a new lease of life, but will instead use some of its technology – and its expert staff – to develop what it calls a new, bigger “smart internet” project.
The company says it wants to make it easier for customers to connect devices to their home networks and then manage them efficiently. As part of this goal, it is currently working on a combined router and modem that allows users to keep track of the various gadgets being used in their house.
Tyson Marian, from Comcast’s strategic development team, explained that the new system will see consumers benefiting from “heavy, heavy security”, but added that the technology is unlikely to be seen until the start of 2015 at the earliest.
While the the financial details of the deal haven’t officially been revealed, reports from businessinsider.com suggest it was worth around $50 million.
The announcement comes as Comcast continues to fend off criticism surrounding its impending merger with Time Warner Cable (TWC).
