San Diego-based Qualcomm, a provider of business-to-business wireless enterprise applications and services, last week announced that it has acquired Chicago-based nPhase LLC, a leading provider of machine-to-machine solutions that allow enterprises to manage and monitor widely dispersed, fixed machine assets.

Machine-to-machine telemetry is an evolving category of business activity that defines theinterconnecting of machines with IT infrastructure and mobilized work forces. Machine-to-machine solutions allow enterprises to manage and monitor business-critical machine assets within two categories: fixed machine assets, such as cellular towers, gas pipelines and assembly line robotics; and mobile assets, such as truck fleets, heavy equipment and transportation.

“We are excited to add the complementary skills and technologies that nPhase brings, and this acquisition clearly shows our belief in this evolving industry,” said Joan Waltman, president of Qualcomm Wireless Business Solutions. “Qualcomm views this acquisition as a gateway to a new area of wireless communications and machine intelligence, which also holds additional benefits for our current markets.”

Machine-to-machine solutions offer new opportunities for businesses across major industries to compete more effectively by increasing an organization’s service levels by allowing users to access information, receive alerts regarding critical situations, and control and manipulate situations on their dispersed machine assets via a computer or mobile computing device.

nPhase will continue to offer products and services under its own brand. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.