Verizon continued to bulk up its Internet of Things (IoT) play today, buying Sensity, a company which embeds networking technology in LED lighting systems as part of a smart cities solution, for an undisclosed amount.

The move continues the rapid pace of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ)'s IoT expertise expansion that started in June with its purchase of Telogis and continued in August when Verizon bought Fleetmatics. Those two deals came on the heels of Verizon's expansion of its IoT business by 25% in each of the first two quarters of the year, and its assessment in April that IoT is already a mainstream business. (See Verizon Buys Big Into IoT With $2.4B Fleetmatics Deal, US Giants Carve Out Role in the Industrial IoT and IoT Already Mainstream, Verizon Claims.)

The deal is also a boost to Verizon's smart cities effort in particular, an effort that came under the direction of former Cisco executive Mrinalini Ingram earlier this year. Smart cities are one of five key focus areas for Verizon, the others being healthcare, energy, transportation and agriculture tech. Last week, Verizon announced efforts to create sustainable vineyards. (See Verizon Brings IoT to Sustainable Vineyards.)

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Sensity's networking technology is designed into light-emitting diode (LED) lighting fixtures to allow cities to capitalize on their public lighting upgrades to build a high-speed, sensor-based multi-service IoT platform, according to Verizon. Its technology is already built into 42 smart city installations globally through an ecosystem of partners.

Among the potential applications are energy efficiency, public safety, parking control, asset management and analytics, according to Verizon.

— Carol Wilson, Editor-at-Large, Light Reading