U-Blox Exiting the Cellular Market: What Does This Mean for You?
21. January 2025
On January 14, 2025, Rafael Duarte from U-Blox Investor Relations announced that U-Blox will be phasing out its cellular business to focus on its highly profitable GPS/location products.
This strategic shift will likely impact U-Blox customers over the next 12–24 months. While change can present opportunities, it often brings challenges, including redesigns, increased costs, and potential disruptions.
Key considerations for U-Blox customers
As a U-Blox customer, it's essential to assess how this decision affects your business and products:
- Product Lifecycle: How much longer do you plan to support your current product in the market?
- Firmware and Support: Will U-Blox’s exit halt firmware updates, potentially affecting functionality and compatibility with evolving cellular standards?
- Last-Time Buys: Do you have the cashflow to secure sufficient inventory for your product’s lifecycle? Bulk stock commitments can strain financial resources.
- Redesign Costs: What is the financial and time investment required for redesigns, validation, and certifications?
- Resource Availability: Does your team have the capacity to handle redesigns, or would external expertise ensure faster, more efficient implementation?
How BCD Atlantik can help
With over 20 years of experience in wireless and processing technologies, BCD Atlantik offers both component solutions and engineering services to streamline your design process. Our expertise, supplier network, and technical support can help you navigate this transition seamlessly.
Solutions to support a move away from U-Blox
Quectel
- As a franchised distributor for Quectel, the world’s leading cellular module vendor, we can provide comparable or superior replacements tailored to your needs.
- Quectel’s European labs and local support team specialize in antenna design, tuning, and validation for maximum performance.
Qualcomm
- With a 15+ year partnership, we have access to Qualcomm’s core cellular chipsets, Snapdragon platforms, and embedded processing technologies.
- Qualcomm’s solutions are ideal for automotive, mobile, and other advanced applications.
Virscient
- For nearly a decade, we’ve partnered with Virscient, a trusted provider of end-to-end engineering services. Their expertise in wireless technologies ensures cost-effective, production-ready designs.
Wireless Logic
- A redesign is an opportunity to optimise operational costs. Through our partnership with Wireless Logic, we can help you evaluate and reduce SaaS and data costs, improving profitability.
Ready to simplify the transition?
Our team is here to help you explore your options and minimise disruption. Book a call today to discuss how BCD Atlantik can make this process as smooth as possible.