​Qualcomm's Atheros unit acquires Ikanos

Qualcomm Atheros said it has acquired Ikanos Communications for $2.75 a share in a move to round out its technology for home and central office gateways.

The acquisition of Ikanos gives Qualcomm access to A/VDSL2 and G.fast modem technology and chipsets. Ikanos' technology provides chipsets and acceleration tools for fiber, LTE, Ethernet and copper networks. Ikanos also has software that manages broadband connections and voice-over-IP services.

For Qualcomm Atheros, the game is about offering connectivity tools and processors covering multiple protocols. Qualcomm Atheros is looking to be a central player in the Internet of things.

The acquisition is expected to close before the end of 2015.

For the six months ended June 28, Ikanos reported a net loss of $24.3 million on revenue of $21.2 million, down from $25.8 million for the same period a year ago.