New details have emerged regarding the recently resurrected Lifecomm mobile health joint venture. In May Qualcomm announced a JV with Hughes Telematics and American Medical Alert to launch Qualcomm's Lifecomm brand as a wireless-enabled mobile personal emergency response offering. At the time we knew little more than that Lifecomm was an entity formed with cash and in-kind contributions by the parties, and would operate as a majority-owned subsidiary of Hughes with plans to launch a mobile Personal Emergency Response Service (PERS) focused on seniors and their caregivers in the United States in 2011.
Lifecomm's mPERS device aims to distinguish itself from legacy devices by providing connectivity for the user whether they are inside or far away from their home since it connects to a cellular network. According to the SEC document, Lifecomm may also develop "ancillary" devices and services that complement mPERS.
According to a recently filed SEC document, Qualcomm will contribute $6 million to the joint venture. Qualcomm will also contribute access to Qualcomm engineering and certain other resources, according to the SEC filing.
American Medical Alert will contribute $4 million to form Lifecomm.
Hughes will contribute about $10.9 million in non-cash assets to the deal, according to the document. Instead of a cash contribution, Hughes will contribute access to and adaptation of its “Telematics Platform,” including an operational support system and business support systems (OSS/BSS), along with HR support, payroll, accounting, financial management and reporting. Hughes will also provide engineering support services to the company during initial development of the Mobile PERS Solution and for a period of time following commercial launch of the Mobile PERS solution/service, according to the filing.
Lifecomm's executive management team will consist of a general manager, lead financial manager and lead technical manager, each of whom will be handpicked by Hughes but approved of by a majority of the company's board.
MobiHealthNews broke the story that Qualcomm’s original plans for Lifecomm had been shuttered in July of last year.
Here's the SEC filing: Hughes Telematics 10-Q