German lighting giant Osram has reached into the backyard of Dutch rival Philips to strengthen its smart cities capabilities, acquiring a large minority stake in Holland’s Tvilight, a specialist in intelligent street light controls.
Munich-based Osram said it is picking up 47.5% of Amsterdam-based Tvilight, with a particular interest in Tvilight’s sensor technology and smart light management software.
“To extend our portfolio of lighting solutions for cities and to provide superior value to our customers, Osram equips its outdoor luminaires with additional intelligence,” said Eladia Pulido, head of Osram Lighting Solutions. “Tvilight’s software solutions are the optimum extension for our luminaires.”
Osram declined to say how much it is paying for the stake, which should help strengthen its push “beyond illumination” and into the Internet of Things (IoT), in which street lamps and many other sensor-equipped or digitized objects link up to information networks.
“Together with Osram, we will continue to deliver IoT-ready, connected intelligent lighting solutions on a global scale, transforming urban infrastructure, enabling smart city applications and improving lives of the citizens,” said Chintan Shah. CEO of Tvilight. Shah founded the company in 2012.
By Mark Halper
Published on November 4, 2016
From: LEDs magazine