Qualcomm Opens its First Test Center Outside the USA

Qualcomm has announced the opening of its first test development center outside of the USA - in Singapore. By having test centers in two opposite time zones - San Diego and Singapore - Qualcomm says that it will create an around-the-clock engineering support system that will significantly shorten the evaluation cycles for its new digital and radio frequency wireless technologies.

Qualcomm's Asia Pacific Test Center will carry out design verification and failure analysis for Qualcomm's new products and technologies designed in its design centers in India, China, Taiwan, Korea and San Diego. The Center will also engage in independent development of new technologies and products, in addition to pre-production sampling of early product introductions.

"The opening of the test center expands Qualcomm's existing operations in Singapore. The region will serve as a development hub for Qualcomm's innovative technologies that will enable new categories of converged mobile devices," said Jim Clifford, senior vice president and general manager of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "We are confident that the Center will play a significant role in our development of next-generation products."

Qualcomm's major suppliers in the region include Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, Inscope Labs, SEMICAPS, StatsChipPac, Tessolve and Verigy.

"Chartered is very pleased that Qualcomm has chosen to open its Asia Pacific Test Center of Excellence in Singapore," said Chia Song Hwee, president & CEO of Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing. "As a key supplier to Qualcomm based in Singapore, we see tremendous benefit and synergy in having the Test Center here, including shorter evaluation cycles, quicker time to market and closer engineering collaboration. We look forward to furthering our relationship with Qualcomm."

The new Test Center will be managed by C.S. Chang, who serves as director of engineering and offshore development for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies and is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of technology industry experience.

Posted to the site on 30th October 2008