QUALCOMM Inc., a developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, announced that it will be making acquisitions to complement its core wireless technology offerings. QUALCOMM will acquire for cash WLAN technology provider Airgo Networks Inc. and the majority of RF Micro Devices' (RFMD) Bluetooth® assets. The acquisitions will enhance QUALCOMM's ability to deliver industry-leading, complete semiconductor solutions that will enable its device manufacturing partners to more quickly and easily offer a wide range of compelling wireless devices.

“QUALCOMM's business strategy has always been integration, enhancing performance and reducing time to market by offering complete solutions,” said Sanjay K. Jha, president of QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies. “With these two acquisitions, we will continue to extend our leadership in mobile broadband and will be offering our partners comprehensive chipsets with seamlessly integrated features.”

“As the attach rate for Bluetooth and WLAN features in mobile handsets is poised to grow past the critical tipping point, these acquisitions become very timely,” said Chris Ambrosio, director of wireless device strategies for Strategy Analytics. “With QUALCOMM now having the technologies of Airgo and RFMD's Bluetooth business in-house, manufacturers will have access to more integrated solutions - chipsets that deliver expanded, seamless connectivity with enhanced performance and space savings.”

Palo Alto, California-based Airgo possesses intellectual property assets and resources in WLAN technology, and has provided WLAN products to both manufacturers of access points and laptop computers. In addition to supporting Airgo's existing business, QUALCOMM will be integrating its 802.11a/b/g and 802.11n technology into select Mobile Station Modem™ (MSM™) chipsets. The company will also use this technology for chipsets on the new Snapdragon™ platform, which is designed to offer ubiquitous mobile broadband connectivity.

“Airgo has an extensive history of delivering advanced wireless LAN solutions that have revolutionized our industry segment, and we are pleased to become part of the company we believe is the global leader in wireless technology and chipsets,” said Greg Raleigh, president and chief executive officer of Airgo Networks. “This acquisition enables integrated products with wireless LAN and wireless WAN capabilities to deliver a seamless-connectivity experience for users.”

Under the agreement with RFMD, QUALCOMM will acquire the majority of North Carolina-based RFMD's Bluetooth assets, specifically those based in San Diego, CA. QUALCOMM will be integrating the Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) technology into MSM reference designs to offer its device manufacturing customers a more complete solution. RFMD's San Diego-based team currently designs technology for both the mobile handset and headset markets.

“RFMD hopes to become a broader development partner to QUALCOMM's entire product portfolio for complementary products such as power amplifiers and front-end modules,” said Bob Bruggeworth, president and chief executive officer of RFMD. “RFMD is pleased that QUALCOMM sees the value of our long-term roadmaps for front-end solutions. The sale of these assets is part of an ongoing relationship with QUALCOMM that we expect will continue to strengthen as we move forward to become the leading provider of high performance radio systems and solutions to the wireless industry.”