Qualcomm Announces Commercial Availability of Gobi3000 Modules

BARCELONA, Spain, February 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

-- Third Generation Gobi Module Extends Wireless Leadership to Multiple Forms of Connected Devices --

Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) today announced the next-generation embedded Gobi3000(TM) certified reference design to help meet the rising demand for connected mobile devices. This solution will help continue the growth of the Gobi platform with a combination of performance and flexibility enhancements and expanded engineering resources.

The new Gobi3000 module design is intended to deliver improved performance by doubling the HSPA downlink speed and enhancing the Gobi common application programming interface (API) functionality for enterprise applications. The design allows Qualcomm's customers to offer both single-mode (UMTS) and multi-mode designs (CDMA/UMTS). Gobi3000-based modules, along with enhanced system integration and differentiated software solutions, are now available from Huawei, Novatel Wireless, Option, Sierra Wireless and ZTE.

"Today's announcement is a great step forward in making our Gobi platform more accessible to our customers, more cost competitive and more open than it has ever been," said Fram Akiki, senior director of product management at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "We are excited to work with the ecosystem to take Gobi3000-based solutions to market and help our customers reduce integration and certification expenses, logistics and time to market for new devices. With the Gobi solution currently available in more than 100 different devices, we believe that the Gobi platform will continue to be an attractive connectivity solution for any type of connected device."

"The Gobi mobile Internet modules have brought WAN connectivity to many of our laptop computing solutions," said Kirk Schell, marketing director, Business Client Products at Dell. "We look forward to giving our customers an even faster mobile Internet experience by offering the Gobi3000 solution in our Latitude product lines."

"We've used Qualcomm's Gobi mobile Internet connectivity solutions on many of our ThinkPad laptops to give our customers wireless 3G connectivity that keeps them connected almost anywhere they go," said Dilip Bhatia, vice president, ThinkPad Marketing, Lenovo. "By integrating a Gobi3000-based module into upcoming ThinkPad laptops, we'll continue to provide users with an even faster, easy-to-use connectivity solution for an untethered, productive user experience."

"As a leading innovator in the consumer electronics industry, our choice for 3G connectivity for VAIO is Gobi technology," said Ryosuke Akahane, deputy president of VAIO & Mobile Business Group, Sony Corporation. "We are pleased to be working with Qualcomm to expand the market for connected consumer devices, while reaping the benefits of having a consistent software platform across our wireless products."

"We are excited to work with Qualcomm closely to take Gobi3000-based solutions to our customers," said Mr. Su Jie, director of Huawei MBB Product Line. "As the global leader of MBB, Huawei Device has established close and cooperative relationships with operators and PC vendors worldwide. Integrating the strong chipset platforming ability of Qualcomm with customized product capability, we believe the Gobi solution will bring more value to our customers globally."

"Novatel Wireless is proud to be working with Qualcomm's Gobi3000 reference design with multiple OEM platform implementations," says Rob Hadley, chief marketing officer, Novatel Wireless. "The combination of the improved performance of Gobi3000-based modules and our leading RF expertise, integration and platform certification services and software support, provides OEMs with a simple and cost-effective solution to add connectivity to any mobile device."

"Option has been a Gobi module provider from the beginning so we have built up quite some experience and expertise on this platform," said Bernard Schaballie, vice president of engineering at Option. "We are very pleased with the latest generation of Gobi-based products as it offers an impressive price-to-performance ratio. As a Gobi design licensee, we have made our own LGA and half-size, Gobi-based variants which we are currently offering to our customers."

"We are pleased to extend our longstanding relationship with Qualcomm and our PC OEM customers to provide Gobi3000-based solutions," said Dan Schieler, senior vice president and general manager, Mobile Computing for Sierra Wireless. "The Gobi platform allows our customers to offer compelling, flexible solutions that help enterprise IT departments to streamline their procurement and support requirements."

"ZTE has long been committed to bringing innovative and high-quality products to its customers worldwide," said Adam Zhang, general manager, MBB Product Line at ZTE Corporation. "As a long-term licensee of Qualcomm's technology and a worldwide leader of mobile broadband terminals, we are pleased to work with Qualcomm to develop and commercialize Gobi3000-based modules. Our engineering expertise and unparalleled experience with MBB terminal design and development and global carrier certifications will continue to give us an advantage in developing leading-edge, Gobi3000-based modules for a wide portfolio of wireless terminals, including tablets, eReaders and machine-to-machine products."

The Gobi3000 reference design is based on Qualcomm's MDM6200(TM) and MDM6600(TM) chipsets, both of which can provide support for HSPA+ data rates of up to 14.4 Mbps. The MDM6600 also supports CDMA2000(R) 1xEV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B. For more information about Gobi technology, please visit http://www.gobianywhere.com

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies. For 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other. Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere. For more information, visit Qualcomm around the Web:

http://www.qualcomm.com

Corporate Blog: http://www.qualcomm.com/blog

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Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company's ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of MDM6200, MDM6600 and CDMA components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which the Gobi3000 module is adopted, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2010, and most recent Form 10-Q.

Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA USA). Gobi3000, MDM6200 and MDM660 are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

    
    Qualcomm Contacts:
    Tina Asmar, Corporate Communications
    Phone: +1-858-651-1923
    Email: corpcomm@qualcomm.com

    Warren Kneeshaw, Investor Relations
    Phone: +1-858-658-4813
    Email: ir@qualcomm.com