Qualcomm is a name most people recognize immediately. With more than $45 billion in assets, Qualcomm is one of the nation’s leading producers of wireless telecommunications. The company has been around since 1985 and it did not take long for it to become the success that it is today. At the moment, there are 157 Qualcomm locations all over the world. Part of the reason for the company’s massive success has to do with some of the major acquisitions in Qualcomm’s history.
Firethorn Holdings – $210 million
One of the most interesting acquisitions, as well as one of the most expensive, Qualcomm has entered into was the 2007 purchase of Firethorn Holdings. This is a company that specializes in mobile banking services. It was big acquisition for the company, as well as one of the most successful of all time.
Wilocity – $300 million (est.)
Earlier in 2014, Qualcomm dished out an estimated $300 million for a company by the name of Wilocity. Wilocity manufactures WiGig semiconductor products. The acquisition is such a recent one, however, that the extent of Qualcomm’s plan for the company is not entirely clear at this point.
Flarion – $600 million
Being in the wireless telecommunications business, Qualcomm makes a habit of acquiring companies that are already in the same field so that they can expand their own business. In 2005, the company acquired Flarion, the business responsible for manufacturing wireless orthogonal frequency division multiplex access to the world.
SnapTrack – $1 billion
In 2000, Qualcomm made its largest acquisition to date. The company purchased SnapTrack. This company was designed to track cell phone software. For only $1 billion, Qualcomm was able to acquire this company and begin using its product for its own purposes.
Atheros – $3.1 billion
In 2011, Qualcomm decided to finalize plans to acquire a company by the name of Atheros. Atheros was a wi-fi networking company that was worth a bit more than $3 billion. The acquisition was the most expensive in Qualcomm history, but also one of the most profitable in the long run.
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