Qualcomm acquires online multimedia firm for $18m

US technology giant Qualcomm has agreed to acquire Qualphone, a maker of Internet-based multimedia software, according to an InfoWorld Daily report.

The report said Qualcomm, the pioneer of CDMA technology, would pay $18 million in cash for Qualphone. The acquisition was expected to be completed later this month.

Qualphone offers an IMS software platform that enables integrated and interactive voice, text, picture and video features in handsets on 3G network technologies, including W-CDMA and cdma2000.

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, according to the InfoWorld Daily report.