Qualcomm buying wireless tech maker Atheros for $3.1 billion

By Geoff Duncan January 5, 2011

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mobile technology powerhouse Qualcomm has announced it will be acquiring chipmaker and wireless technology developer Atheros in an all-cash deal valued at about $3.1 billion. One of Atheros’s specialties is Wi-Fi networking gear now commonplace in virtually every computer and the growing panoply of smartphones and tablet devices, and is widely being viewed as a strategic move to take Qualcomm’s business beyond its current focus on mobile phone technology and into mainstream mobile devices and computing.

“It is Qualcomm’s strategy to continually integrate additional technologies into mobile devices to make them the primary way that people communicate, compute, and access content,” said Qualcomm chairman and CEO Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, in a statement. “The combination of Qualcomm and Atheros is intended to accelerate this opportunity by utilizing best-in-class products for communications, computing, and consumer electronics to broaden existing customer relationships and expand access to new partners and distribution channels.”

Qualcomm’s acquisition price represents a 22 percent premium on Atheros’ closing price on Monday. The boards of both companies have approved the acquisition; pending approval by Atheros shareholders and regulatory authorities, the companies expect the acquisition to close in the first half of this year.

Qualcomm has long been a major player in cellular and mobile communications—and, among many other things, manufacturers the SnapDragon processors that are driving many Android devices today. However, the company has long had a weak spot in its technology portfolio when it came to mainstream computer networking and (more recently) Wi-Fi wireless networking. The Atheros acquisition immediately closes that gap by bringing one of the industry’s leading players in house, and Qualcomm will no doubt look for synergies between mobile and wireless networking technologies, particularly as 4G mobile broadband infrastructure begins to roll out in earnest around the world.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

Power up your tech game this summer with Dell’s top deals: Upgrade for a bargain

Dell Techfest and best tech on sale featured.

One of the best times to upgrade your tech stack, be it your desktop, a new laptop, or some high-resolution monitors, is when great deals are to be had. Well, I'm here to share that thanks to Dell's top deals, you can power up your tech game and have most of the summer to make it happen. Maybe you're happy with your current system or setup. That's excellent, but you're likely considering upgrading somewhere, and that's precisely what these deals are all about. Dell has a smorgasbord of deals on laptops, desktops, gaming desktops, monitors, accessories, and so much more. We'll call out a few of our favorite deals below, but for now, know that you should be shopping this sale if you're interested in anything tech-related.

What summer tech should you buy in Dell's top deals?

Computing

I love the MacBook Pro, but this Windows laptop came surprisingly close

Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

There are some great machines in the 15-inch laptop category, which has recently been stretched to include the more common 16-inch laptop. The best among them is the Apple MacBook Pro 16, which offers fast performance for tasks like video editing and the longest battery life.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 is aimed not only at other 16-inch Windows laptops but also at the MacBook Pro 16. It offers many of the same benefits but at a lower price. Can it take a place at the top?
Specs and configurations

Computing

How to set an ‘Out of Office’ message in Microsoft Teams

Person using Windows 11 laptop on their lap by the window.

Many people use Microsoft Teams regularly to communicate with colleagues both inside of the office and remotely. It is considered one of the most efficient ways to ensure you can stay in contact with the people on your team, but what if you need to let people know you’re not readily available? Microsoft Teams has a method for you to set up an "Out of Office" status for your profile to let staff members know when you’ll be gone for the afternoon, for several days on vacation, or for an extended period.
Where do I go to set up my ‘Out of Office’ status for Teams?
It is important to note that your Microsoft Teams and Outlook calendars are synced. This includes your out-of-office status and automatic replies. So, whatever you set up in Microsoft Teams will reflect in Outlook. Similarly, you can set up your out-of-office status in Outlook, and it will be reflected in Teams; however, the former has a more straightforward instruction.

First, you can click on your profile icon in Teams and go directly to Schedule an out of office, as a shortcut. This will take you to the settings area where you can proceed. You can also click the three-dot icon next to your profile icon, then go to Settings > General, then scroll down to the bottom of the page. There, you'll find out-of-office settings and click Schedule.