Qualcomm created the Snapdragon family of mobile processors and was founded in 1985.
Qualcomm was established in San Diego by Irwin Jacobs, Andrew Viterbi, and several colleagues. The company became especially influential through wireless communications research, cellular patents, and chipsets based on technologies including CDMA. Snapdragon is Qualcomm’s branded family of system-on-chip products used in many smartphones and other connected devices.
Qualcomm’s business includes semiconductor products and technology licensing. Its licensing operations have historically generated revenue from patents that cover aspects of wireless standards, while Qualcomm Technologies develops chips and platforms. The company is sometimes confused with phone manufacturers because its processors appear inside branded handsets; Qualcomm generally supplies components and technology rather than selling the finished smartphones.