Qualcomm Snags Mobilocity’s Brains

Wireless consulting firm Mobilocity‘s losses are apparently
QUALCOMM’s gain. The San Diego-based wireless
technology maker has hired top talent from the troubled New York-based
consultancy to staff up its own Wireless Knowledge consulting division.

On Wednesday, the San Diego-based QUALCOMM said it hired Mobilocity’s Chief Technology Officer Omar Javaid along with other key strategists and consultants from the firm. The arrangement includes intellectual property such as Mobilocity’s research and development facility called “Mobility Lab.”

Javaid is to be CTO for Wireless Knowledge, QUALCOMM’s consulting division, where he’ll be responsible for overseeing client development for the company’s consulting group.

“Wireless Knowledge is uniquely positioned to drive the next stage of growth and adoption in the mobile market,” Javaid said in a release. “Wireless Knowledge has successfully amassed the key components for success with a combination of world-class consulting, award winning technology and strong financial backing.”

Not explained in the announcement, however, was the fate of Mobilocity itself, which appeared iffy at best. The company’s phones were not working Thursday and e-mails sent to key staffers came back as undeliverable. A Wireless Knowledge spokesman said neither QUALCOMM nor Wireless Knowledge paid for any Mobilocity assets, beyond the hiring agreements it struck with Javaid, who brought key employees and intellectual property with him to the new position.

The news comes just a few weeks after Mobilocity sold off parts of its
ownership in digital consulting firm < kpe > to interactive marketing
firm Agency.com. The New York-based Agency.com picked up some client
accounts, existing engagements and intellectual assets in the sale, whose
terms were confidential.

Agency.com also hired about 10 staff as a part of its August 12th purchase.
Mobilocity purchased < kpe &gt in February of this year.

Mobilocity had been backed by financial services firms J.P. Morgan Chase and Morgan Stanley as well as Siemens and Cambridge Samsung.