Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), a leader in safety testing and certification, has acquired RFI Global Services Ltd., a provider of testing, approval and consultancy services to the global technology market, including data security, cellular, wireless and smart card technologies. Financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.

Headquartered in Basingstoke, near London, UK, RFI Global will be integrated into UL's Verification Services business, which provides performance testing, inspection and auditing for product manufacturers and retailers worldwide. It will operate under the name, RFI Global, a UL company, and current management will report directly to UL Verification Services leadership.

"This acquisition allows us to further extend our global safety mission and better serve companies in the growing wireless, performance and data security markets," said Keith Williams, President and CEO of UL. "Every day, an increasing number of products are transmitting data wirelessly and many organizations are relying upon wireless protocols. Combining the expertise and market positions of UL and RFI Global allows companies to come to a single organization for safety, sustainability, wireless and security product testing."

"This acquisition gives RFI Global the opportunity to be part of an organization with global reach, technical knowledge and brand reputation," said Stephen Kirk, CEO of RFI Global. "UL and RFI Global have a long-standing relationship providing complementary services to customers. This acquisition strengthens our value proposition to our customer base and allows us to expand joint offerings on a much broader scale."

Expanded offerings as a result of the acquisition include EMC testing and software capabilities enabling companies to better track and manage global product approval processes.