SUNNYVALE, Calif. & SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GLOBALFOUNDRIES, a leading provider of advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology, and Qualcomm Incorporated, a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, today announced that they have entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding to collaborate on leading edge technologies. Initially, GLOBALFOUNDRIES intends to provide Qualcomm with access to leading-edge 45nm Low Power (LP) and 28nm (LP) technologies with an intended collaboration on future advanced process nodes.

“As our customers increasingly demand more performance, lower power, functionality and portability in their mobile experiences, the need for a strong manufacturing and technology foundation is more important than ever before,” said Jim Clifford, senior vice president and general manager of operations, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. “With its manufacturing capacity and technology roadmap, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is well positioned to help us enable the next generation of wireless innovation.”

Qualcomm’s Integrated Fabless Manufacturing (IFM) model builds tight technical interfaces among all parties in the semiconductor development cycle, delivering greater efficiency, lower costs and quicker time to market for new products. A crucial component of the Qualcomm’s IFM strategy is a multi-foundry approach, which helps assure product supply to Qualcomm’s device manufacturing customers and provides the Company flexibility to meet rapidly changing demands. The IFM model is designed to accelerate Qualcomm’s technology execution and to meet the exponential growth expected in the wireless semiconductor market.

The intended relationship with GLOBALFOUNDRIES will focus on Qualcomm’s wireless businesses and provide technologies for handheld products that operate on the CDMA2000®, WCDMA and 4G/LTE cellular standards, including the emerging smartbook device segment. Both companies anticipate that GLOBALFOUNDRIES will begin accepting Qualcomm designs at Fab 1 in Dresden in 2010.

“As one of the largest and most successful semiconductor design companies in the world, Qualcomm needs access to the industry’s most advanced technologies along with the ability to rapidly bring them to market,” said Douglas Grose, chief executive officer, GLOBALFOUNDRIES. “By bringing the benefits of a leading-edge IDM model to the foundry world, we provide customers with the fastest option to get advanced products to market in volume and at mature yield. We’re pleased to have an opportunity to collaborate with a market leader like Qualcomm as they enable new classes of wireless products and technologies for the future.”

In addition to advanced technology nodes, the two companies intend to explore other areas to collaborate on such as die-package interaction and 3D packaging technologies.

ABOUT GLOBALFOUNDRIES

GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the world’s first truly global leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing company. Launched in March 2009 through a partnership between AMD (NYSE:AMD) and the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), GLOBALFOUNDRIES provides a unique combination of leading-edge technology, manufacturing excellence and global operations. GLOBALFOUNDRIES is headquartered in Silicon Valley with facilities in Austin, Dresden and New York.

For more information on GLOBALFOUNDRIES, visit www.globalfoundries.com

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq:QCOM) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on CDMA and other advanced technologies. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Qualcomm is included in the S&P 100 Index, the S&P 500 Index and is a 2009 FORTUNE 500^® company. For more information, please visit Qualcomm around the Web:

www.qualcomm.com
Blog: www.qualcomm.com/blog
Twitter: www.twitter.com/qualcomm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Qualcomm

GLOBALFOUNDRIES CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and include, without limitation, statements regarding the company's current expectations, assumptions, assessments, anticipations, objectives, plans, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. These forward-looking statements therefore are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially. Some factors which contribute to these risks and uncertainties include the economic conditions both in the United States and around the world; the difficulties in developing new customers; the demand and supply outlook in the overall semiconductor / foundry industry; the sourcing strategy of potential customer base; competitor actions; the success of company technology alliances; construction progress on additional manufacturing facilities as well as associated governmental processes; the availability of components and equipment; labor and employment issues at manufacturing facilities; the progression of advances in technology and processes; and unforeseen events. GLOBALFOUNDRIES has no duty to update any forward-looking statements in this release based on new information or events.

Legal Notices: In the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, the use of the term “Smartbook” in connection with portable computers is reserved exclusively to Smartbook AG, Germany. Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.