STMicroelectronics and Qualcomm Technologies Announce a New Strategic Agreement
10/13/2024 11:59:57 PM
STMicroelectronics (ST) and Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. have announced a new strategic cooperation agreement aimed at providing next-generation enhanced edge artificial intelligence (AI) support for industrial and consumer Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. This collaboration combines STMicroelectronics' leading position in the STM32 microcontroller (MCU) ecosystem with Qualcomm Technologies' leading position in wireless connectivity solutions.
The core of the cooperation is to integrate Qualcomm Technologies' leading AI-driven wireless connectivity technology, especially the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo system-on-chip (SoC), with STMicroelectronics' STM32 MCU ecosystem. Through this collaboration, developers will be able to enjoy the advantage of seamlessly integrating connectivity software into STM32 general-purpose MCUs, including software toolkits, which will promote rapid and widespread adoption through STMicroelectronics' global sales and distribution channels.
STMicroelectronics plans to launch self-contained modules using Qualcomm Technologies' Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo SoC series, which can be system-level integrated with any STM32 general-purpose microcontrollers. The optimization of wireless connectivity provided to the ST developer ecosystem through STMicroelectronics' mature software platform will help reduce development time and time-to-market. The initial products resulting from this collaboration are expected to be available to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the first quarter of 2025, followed by broader availability. This is the first step in a long-term cooperation that envisions a roadmap of Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Thread combo SoC products over time, with the intention to extend into cellular connectivity for industrial IoT applications.
This cooperation is seen by the industry as a perfect match, thanks to STMicroelectronics' leading microcontroller ecosystem and Qualcomm Technologies' R&D leadership in wireless connectivity, which is expected to enable companies to address the dynamic IoT market more simply, quickly, and cost-effectively.