Qualcomm

• In July of 1985, seven people – Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs, Dr. Andrew Viterbi, Harvey White, Franklin Antonio, Andrew Cohen, Klein Gilhousen, and Adelia Coffman founded Qualcomm, opening the Company’s first office in La Jolla, California.
• That same year, Qualcomm lands its first contract and begins working with CDMA , a unique digital wireless technology used by the U.S. military for secure communications.

• In August of 1988, the Company launches OmniTRACS, a satellite-based data communications system for the transportation industry that enables truck fleet operators to effectively track and monitor their vehicles in the field.
• Later this year, Qualcomm receives its first major OmniTRACS order from Schneider National Trucking Company. Qualcomm is still a fledgling company and the order provides it with a much-needed capital infusion.

• In the spring of 1989, Qualcomm and PacTel Cellular committed to staging a demonstration of CDMA to 50 of the wireless industry’s most influential leaders.
• With only six months to engineer the demo, the team was still making final adjustments when Dr. Irwin M. Jacobs took to the podium in San Diego, California on November 7, 1989. Deftly stalling for time in his opening remarks, Dr. Jacobs eventually received the “thumbs up” from one of the engineers, and placed the demonstration call that made wireless history.

• In December of 1991, Qualcomm conducted its IPO, making 4 million shares of the Company available to the public on the NASDAQ.

• In February of 1993, Qualcomm demonstrates basic packet data (TCP/IP) services over CDMA, establishing leadership as an early advocate for mobile Internet connectivity.

• In July of 1993, the U.S. Telecommunications Industry Association adopted CDMA as a cellular standard, validating Qualcomm’s business model and opening the door to the global proliferation of this advanced digital wireless technology.

• In March of 1993, Qualcomm introduces the industry's first dual-mode CDMA-AMPS mobile phone, the CD-7000 is the first in a series of CDMA-based cellular telephones designed by Qualcomm.

• In October of 1995, Qualcomm forms the CDMA ASIC Products Unit which evolves into Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT) in 1999. QCT will reflect the division's evolution from a hardware supplier to a strategic partner supplying a complete range of CDMA-based solutions. Today, QCT is the industry's leading semiconductor and software developer and provider.
• Also in October, Qualcomm launches the business unit now known as Qualcomm Technology Licensing (QTL) to facilitate technology transfer and strategic alliance building. Through this nontraditional “horizontal” business model, Qualcomm opens the door for new market entrants of all sizes to participate in the growth of the industry.

• In March of 1995, BC Tel Mobility of British Columbia, Canada selected Northern Telecom (Nortel), in collaboration with Qualcomm, to supply network infrastructure equipment for its CDMA digital cellular and Personal Communications Services (PCS) network.

• In October of 1995, the first commercial CDMA service is launched by Hutchison Telephone Co. Ltd. in Hong Kong.

• In 1996, Bell Atlantic, PrimeCo, SKT (S. Korea) and Telefonica (Peru) launch CDMA commercially. There are more than 1 million subscribers worldwide by year’s end.

• In March of 1997, Qualcomm announced the first CDMA PCS/analog dual-band phone. The QCP-2700 offers consumers the ability to roam outside of their PCS coverage areas.

• In September of 1998, Qualcomm unveils the pdQ CDMA phone. Based on the popular Palm operating system, this device represented the world’s first CDMA smartphone.

• In December of 1998, Qualcomm performed the world’s first demonstration of HDR technology. Designed to support high-speed mobile data, this technology led to the CDMA2000 1xEV-DO digital wireless communications standard, which is now the world’s most widely deployed broadband technology.

• Qualcomm’s strong performance and revenue growth enable the Company to gain entry into the S&P 500 Index and 1999 Fortune 500® list.

• In October of 2000, KTFreeTel (KTF) launches the first commercial CDMA2000 1X mobile network in South Korea.

• In June of 2000, Qualcomm announces a complete, end-to-end High Data Rate (HDR) solution. An incremental step along the way to advanced third generation (3G) technology, HDR provided significantly faster downloads and uploads for mobile data applications.

• In August of 2000, Qualcomm delivers the first multimedia CDMA chipset and system software. Featuring gpsOne® position location, Internet connectivity, MP3 and Bluetooth™ connectivity, the MSM3300/IFR3300 enables manufacturers to begin the design of advanced wireless handsets that offer rich multimedia applications and power-efficient position location features in very small and cost-effective form-factors.

• In January of 2001, Qualcomm announces Brew™, an open applications platform for CDMA-based wireless devices. Designed to provide solutions for the wireless industry “as it moves toward wireless-Internet convergence,” the Brew platform enables software developers to more easily create and monetize feature-rich applications for CDMA devices and provides users with the opportunity to download applications “over the air” and personalize their wireless devices to suit their needs.
• In November of 2001, South Korea’s KTFreeTel (KTF) became the first wireless network operator in the world to launch Brew-based services. Laying the groundwork for mobile application stores of the future, KTF offered its subscribers access to more than 160 applications via their CDMA mobile phones.

And Brew continues to evolve to this day...

• In October of 2004, Qualcomm announces that third-party Brew publishers and developers to date had earned more than $200 million from the sales of Brew-based applications and more than 180 million Brew-based wireless applications had been downloaded by subscribers worldwide.
• In November 2008, Qualcomm unveils its software development kit (SDK) for the Company's new Brew® Mobile Platform (Brew MP). Brew MP is a mobile operating system platform that supports handsets and mobile devices across virtually all market tiers and across all 3G technologies. The SDK provides a full suite of tools and features, including highly integrated Adobe® Flash® technology and helps bridge the gap between the mobile application and Web development communities.
• In use today in more than 25 countries and generating over $3 billion in developer earnings, Brew continues to prove its value as a pioneer in application development and delivery services. The new Brew MP operating system is backwards compatible with past Brew versions, enabling instant access to the thousands of existing Brew applications

• Qualcomm signs its 100th licensee this year, proving the value of its intellectual property portfolio and validating the Company’s business model as a catalyst for growth and innovation in the wireless industry.

• In October of 2001, NTT DoCoMo launches the first commercial WCDMA mobile network.

• South Korea Telecom (SKT) launches the world’s first commercial EV-DO mobile network.

• The two largest U.S. mobile operators – Sprint PCS & Verizon Wireless – deploy Qualcomm’s gpsOne® to meet the U.S. government’s mandate to enable position location whenever an e911 call is made from a mobile phone. The gpsOne solution earns distinction as the most widely deployed GPS-based location technology in the world.

• The U.S. government awards Qualcomm a development contract for the first secure CDMA Voice-over-IP (VoIP) wireless secure handset. In 2005, the Qsec-2700 Rel. 2 achieves U.S. government Type I certification, making it the world’s first and only secure VoIP mobile phone.

• In May of 2003, Qualcomm announces its fourth generation of WCDMA chipsets. The solution delivers High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), a next-generation feature of the WCDMA (UMTS) standard, as well as roaming on GSM and GPRS systems. In addition, the new solution provides WCDMA handsets with enhanced multimedia functionality for video conferencing, streaming video, music playback, gaming, camera and camcorder features.

• In September of 2003, Verizon Wireless launches CDMA2000 1xEV-DO service on its nationwide network in the U.S., offering subscribers data connectivity at broadband speeds.

• In November of 2004, Qualcomm establishes the business unit now known as FLO TV™ to deploy and operate a nationwide multicast network, delivering many channels of high-quality video and audio programming to 3G mobile phones at mass market prices. The network uses Qualcomm’s FLO™ (Forward Link Only) technology and operates on nationwide 700 MHz spectrum (UHF channel 55) acquired by Qualcomm. Qualcomm offers the network as a shared resource for U.S. CDMA2000 and WCDMA (UMTS) cellular operators, enabling them to deliver mobile interactive multimedia to their wireless subscribers without the cost of network deployment and operation. The system also gives TV stations and networks, cable TV and satellite operators and networks, and other content providers a major new distribution channel that complements their current offerings, enabling consumers to enjoy TV and multimedia content on the go.

In less than three years FLO TV goes live...

• In July of 2006, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) approves the first open standard based on the FLO air interface.
• In March of 2007, Verizon Wireless launches the service under its V CAST™ brand. The first FLO-enabled handsets are the LG VX9400 and the Samsung SCH-u620.
• In April of 2008, Qualcomm demonstrates the FLO service in automotive entertainment systems. Audiovox is tapped to supply car dealers nationwide with the FLO TV hardware under its Advent brand.
• In March of 2008, AT&T introduces AT&T Mobile TV with FLO. The first FLO-enabled handsets available via AT&T are the Samsung Access and the LG Vu.
• In October of 2009, Qualcomm launches the FLO TV™ Personal Television. The device receives live and time-shifted content over the FLO TV dedicated multicast network with no buffering, downloading or waiting to view content.

• In November of 2005, Qualcomm introduces the Scorpion processor, an advanced mobile microprocessor delivering 1 GHz of processing speed and unmatched power efficiency. The Scorpion core is the first microprocessor specifically designed and optimized for integration into Qualcomm’s Mobile Station Modem™ (MSM™) solutions, and enables the convergence of mobile handsets with consumer electronics features.

• In July of 2007, market research firm iSupply names Qualcomm as the world’s leading mobile chipset provider, citing the company’s market dominance in supplying integrated circuits (chipsets) to manufacturers of advanced 3G mobile devices worldwide.

• In October of 2007, Qualcomm introduces Gobi™, a multimode solution featuring GPS that is embedded in notebook computers. The solution allows unparalleled connectivity to notebook users, enabling them to instantly access the Internet via enhanced international roaming between EV-DO Rev. A and HSPA networks, which eliminates the need to search for Wi-Fi “hotspots.”

• In October of 2007, Qualcomm begins collaboration with Microsoft, enabling multiple Windows Mobile smartphones to launch worldwide using Qualcomm integrated chipsets.

• In November of 2007, Qualcomm introduces the Snapdragon platform and two chipset solutions featuring the platform. The QSD8250™ and QSD8650™ are the first chipset solutions to break the gigahertz barrier with multimode broadband and multimedia features, and offer an unprecedented combination of mobile data processing, multimedia performance, 3G wireless connectivity and the lowest levels of power consumption for all-day battery life. The Snapdragon platform delivers an instant-on and always-connected user experience, opening up a new era of innovative computing and consumer wireless mobile devices.

• In May of 2008, Qualcomm MEMS Technologies (QMT) demonstrates the first reflective Interferometric Modulation (IMOD) color mirasol™ display. IMOD technology requires no backlighting and reflects light so that wavelengths interfere with each other creating pure, vivid colors. The first commercial product is a 0.9-inch IMOD color mirasol display introduced by Freestyle Audio in its next-generation MP3 player product line. A variety of mobile devices, including mobile phones, stand to benefit from mirasol displays, which require significantly less power and harness ambient light sources to automatically scale for optimal viewing in virtually any lighting condition.

• In July of 2008, Qualcomm completed the world's first data call using High-Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) network technology. The call achieved a data transfer rate of more than 20 Mbps in a 5 MHz channel. HSPA+, also known as HSPA Evolved, allows operators to double the data and triple the voice capacity of their networks compared to current HSPA deployments. The successful demonstration was achieved on Qualcomm's MDM8200™ product, the industry's first chipset solution for HSPA+.

• In October of 2008, the G1, the world’s first mobile device based on the Android platform launches, powered by a Qualcomm chipset. The launch of the T-Mobile G1, manufactured by HTC, is a breakthrough moment for Linux-based open mobile application platforms. Qualcomm’s close relationship with T-Mobile, HTC and many other members of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA) was instrumental in achieving this milestone. Qualcomm worked with HTC on the design and development of this first Android-based device, optimizing the software and integrating with the Company’s MSM7201A-a single chip, dual-core solution.

• In January of 2010, two major PC companies, HP and Lenovo, announce plans for breakthrough devices that take advantage of Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon™ chipset platform. Devices in the new smartbook category feature the long battery life and connectivity of a smartphone while delivering enhanced Web browsing and multimedia experiences.
• In May of 2010, the first commercially available smartbook, the HP Compaq Airlife 100, was launched by Telefonica Spain.