CTIA Wireless 2008

Qualcomm’s Gobi Is Poised to Accelerate Adoption of 3G Laptop Usage

| Apr 3, 2008 | Enterprise Mobility - U.S. | Show Update

| Analysts: Kitty Weldon, Rolf Schonhowd

Current Perspective: Positive Vendor Importance: Moderate Market Impact: High

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Event Summary

April 1, 2008 -- Qualcomm announced progress for its Gobi chipset, to be integrated into laptops with support for multiple WWAN radios, simplifying the manufacture and distribution of these solutions. Certification by carriers (i.e., T-Mobile International, Telefonica, Verizon Wireless, and Vodafone) is in progress, laptop vendors will be shipping products in ‘08, and mobile security vendors (i.e., Smith Micro, Birdstep Technology, Diginext B.V., Stonestreet One, and Absolute Software) are developing Gobi-compatible software.

Analytical Summary

• Current Perspective: Positive on Qualcomm’s Gobi momentum, including imminent carrier certification by major U.S. and global operators, and a rapidly growing set of laptop OEMs that will be embedding Gobi chipsets. Gobi is a game-changing technology when it comes to the adoption of embedded 3G mobile broadband; end users no longer have to decide in advance which carrier to activate, as their laptop will support a wide variety of radio options. This makes the adoption and usage paradigm much closer to that of embedded WiFi, and it also makes it easier for carriers and laptop vendors in terms of manufacturing and inventory management, as well as ensuring global roaming with other carriers regardless of wireless technology.

• Vendor Importance: Moderate to Qualcomm, as Gobi seems likely to become a de facto standard when it comes to embedded laptop chipsets. The old model of having to marry a laptop to a particular carrier and deal with interoperability problems when roaming will no longer make sense as more carriers and laptop vendors standardize on what is clearly a better solution. PC cards still have value, as they can be easily swapped out and upgraded, but just as embedded WiFi drove adoption of WiFi significantly, the embedded model is already helping to accelerate 3G usage for laptops; Gobi will boost acceptance even further.

• Market Impact: High on the enterprise mobility market, as the convenience of WWAN cards and embedded modules is already having a significant impact on mobile usage patterns. While 3G is still slower and often more expensive than WiFi (let alone DSL), mobile workers are starting to feel liberated from the vagaries of spotty hotspot restrictions, even if they have to pay $60 for a practically unlimited WWAN data plan. With the added bonus of Gobi, end users and the entire value chain, including distributors, carriers, and especially laptop vendors, will all benefit.

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Current Perspective

Competitive Positives and Concerns

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