Do you trust Qualcomm with MIMO IP?

Like most trade press sources, The EDN Network covered the major merger and acquisitions news yesterday including the Qualcomm acquisition of Airgo in “Qualcomm’s Q4 shopping spree.” I read a number of such articles and analysts opinions. You can hardly find a flaw from the Qualcomm perspective. Airgo may have been viewed as a bit of a rebel in the 802.11 space, but clearly the company is ahead of the pack in the spatial multiplexing technology used in MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) implementations.

Qualcomm will certainly use Airgo’s technology to integrate 802.11 into mobile handsets. And the acquisition will surely strengthen any effort by Qualcomm to expand into other markets – from the PC to other digital-media appliances.

What I haven’t seen addressed are any IP issues with the acquisition. No one has done a better job, from the perspective of their own balance sheet that is, of protecting and generating royalties from IP. I’m no IP expert, I haven’t been sitting in 802.11 meetings, and I have nothing more than speculation guiding me as I write this. But I can’t help but think that Intel, Broadcom, Atheros, Marvell and others are a bit nervous today knowing that Qualcomm will own the company that was way out in front in commercializing spatial multiplexing and which I’m guessing has a significant patent portfolio.