Motorola Inc subsidiary, Motorola Mobility has agreed to buy privately held 4Home, that specializes in offering technology that lets consumers control home gadgets such as thermostats or security cameras remotely from their cellphones.

Motorola Mobility aims to close the deal before its spin off from Motorola Inc, scheduled for January next year.

It aims to use 4Home's technology as part of its plan to expand its offering of wireless technology for the home to be sold via wireless service providers, a Motorola executive told the Reuters Global Media Summit.

"Early next year you'll see announcements out around a major operator that's going to make this a core part of their offering around the home," Motorola Mobility President Daniel Moloney told the summit.

California based 4Home has about 35 employees, Motorola said.