Fujitsu acquires US RFID tag firm to bolster defence offering

IT services firm Fujitsu has acquired US-based GlobeRanger to help give a boost to its defence and national security business.

GlobeRanger operates in the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology space. Fujitsu said GlobeRanger will remain as an autonomous product development and marketing unit, owned by Fujitsu UK and Ireland and with Fujitsu taking a place on GlobeRanger's board of directors.

Duncan Tait, head of Fujitsu Europe, Middle East, India and Africa (EMEIA), said: "This acquisition is a key part of Fujitsu's global defence initiative. It will ensure our customers can be confident of best of breed, proven and cost effective solutions for the defence and defence related industries."

GlobeRanger already supplies the US Department of Defence, where its Edgeware systems are involved in supply chain management, maintenance and repairs and other asset management information needs, by providing automatic, accurate and timely data on an asset's geographical location.

The value of the acquisition has not been disclosed. Kate Hanaghan, an analyst at TechMarketView, said: "GlobeRanger has a particular presence in defence but plays in other sectors, such as the telco, manufacturing and aerospace sectors. While financial terms were not disclosed, we estimate the acquisition cost Fujitsu in the region of $20 to $30 million."