Qualcomm nabs Xiam for $32M: Firm’s technology profiles users to provide customized content offerings

Qualcomm Inc. has acquired Xiam Technologies Ltd. for around $32 million. Xiam said its technology recognizes a mobile device user’s behavior and usage patterns.
Qualcomm said there is a recognized need in the industry to help consumers find content, and it believes solutions like Xiam’s My Personal Offers System (MPOS) technology will continue to lead on that front. MPOS pulls information from user profiles and enables mobile operators and brands to direct targeted recommendations to end users based on their interests. The technology also uses demographic, contextual and behavioral profiling.
Qualcomm plans to continue operating Xiam as a standalone entity because of its existing business partnerships in Europe and its brand value. Ireland-based Xiam is a software company that was founded in 2004 with venture capital funding.
“Qualcomm’s acquisition of Xiam provides us with advanced content discovery and recommendation technology that strengthens Qualcomm’s services portfolio,” said Andrew Gilbert, executive VP at Qualcomm.
Qualcomm’s Xiam acquisition reflects the company’s attempts to boost the sale of cellphone content and applications. Indeed, Qualcomm’s acquisition of Xiam is one of a number of efforts on that front, ranging from its MediaFLO mobile TV operation to its BREW application download service.