Qualcomm buys Berkana for $56 million

LONDON — Mobile phone chip maker Qualcomm Inc. has acquired Berkana Wireless Inc., a fabless vendor of radio frequency circuits made using CMOS manufacturing process technology, for $56 million in cash.

The acquisition would help Qualcomm (San Diego, Calif.) in the CDMA2000 and wideband CMDA (UMTS) markets, the company said.

“We are continually seeking ways to strengthen and accelerate our offerings, and this acquisition reinforces our leadership in RF in the 3G wireless market, enabling us to more quickly deliver new highly integrated RF CMOS solutions to our customers,” said Sanjay Jha, president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, in a statement.

“Our joining with Qualcomm is a result of our shared goals to advance 3G wireless deployment and adoption worldwide,” said Sam Nakib, president and chief executive officer of Berkana Wireless (Campbell, Calif.), in the same statement.

In addition to the cash payment of $56 million, Qualcomm expects to incur one-time charges of approximately $10 million, principally related to in-process research and development, upon closing.