ComScore today announced a $44.3 million acquisition of M:Metrics, bringing together traditional tracking of consumer browsing behavior and specialist services in mobile measurement.

M:Metrics formed in 2004 and has an impressive list of clients such as BBC, BMW, CBS, Ericsson, Fox, Microsoft, Palm, RIM, Qualcomm, Samsung, Verizon and Vodafone.  Its main products are MobiLens, a syndicated monthly online survey of mobile phone usage; MeterDirect, which resides in devices and passively measures user activity; and M:Ad, an advertising tracking service.  ComScore plans to expand those services’ user reach and combine them with its own portfolio, officials said.

“With the substantial growth of 3G devices and Internet-friendly handsets, we believe we are now at an inflection point in Internet usage on mobile devices.  Our acquisition of M:Metrics makes comScore an immediate market leader in this space,” ComScore CEO and President Magid Abraham said, in a statement.

ComScore also cited the deal’s expected benefits of combining business operations and technological infrastructure.

M:Metrics CEO Will Hodgman and Chief Product Architect Seamus McAteer will join ComScore.  In addition to the cash payment, there are options for M:Metrics investors to purchase 50,000 shares of ComScore stock, company officials said.  Investors include I-Hatch Ventures, Prism Venture Partners and Kantar Group, according to the M:Metrics site.

The deal follows last year’s acquisition by The Nielsen Co. of another mobile tracking specialist, Telephia, for an undisclosed amount.  Also last year, Telephia sued M:Metrics for patent infringement, but did not win.