Current News/Innovations

Back in 1990 when Qualcomm was a start-up, it was spending so much on a new approach to cellular communications that it struggled to make payroll. So the San Diego firm began peddling its 50 patents to mobile phone and network gear makers such as Motorola and Alcatel-Lucent. It negotiated upfront fees to fund research, as well as an ongoing patent royalty should its technology ever be used in their products. Companies did use Qualcomm's technology. And in a big way. Qualcomm's inventions are now under the hood of every 3G/4G smartphone. They power faster download and upload speeds, have reduced static and interference, given batteries a longer life, made auto lock and airplane mode possible, and the list goes on. Its patent licensing arm is a $7.7 billion juggernaut -- 130,000 patents issued and pending strong. Its licensing business model helped cement Qualcomm as the research and development engine for the mobile industry. And now Qualcomm is in Apple's cross-ha...