by CIO Staff

Qualcomm Says It Will Acquire Qualphone

News
Aug 18, 20061 min
Mergers and Acquisitions

Qualcomm, in a move to expand its expertise in developing chipsets and other systems for multimedia mobile phones, has agreed to acquire Qualphone, a maker of Internet-based multimedia software, the companies announced Friday.

Qualcomm, the pioneer of code division multiple access (CDMA) cellular technology, will pay US$18 million in cash for Qualphone. The acquisition is expected to be completed later this month. Both companies are located in San Diego, Calif.

Qualphone offers an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) software platform that enables integrated and interactive voice, text, picture and video features in handsets on third-generation network technologies, including wideband CDMA and CDMA2000.

The company also offers technology for testing service interoperability.

Mobile phone operators, in particular, are keen to add multimedia services to tap new revenue streams as margins slip for their cash-cow voice service, which is becoming a commodity in many developed markets.

-John Blau, IDG News Service (Dusseldorf Bureau)

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