Qualcomm has unveiled an incubation lab to speed the development of apps and services for the wireless space.
The company is known for its habit of pushing the wireless ecosystem ahead with aggressive investments in areas such as mobile television, displays and the Indian 4G market.
The incubator, called Qualcomm Services Labs (QSL), will focus on five key areas, including using digital information to simplify daily life, which Qualcomm calls life automation, and the delivery of personalized and context-aware recommendations.
The lab also will focus on communication, information and entertainment and using digital information to enhance mobile interactions, which Qualcomm has dubbed digital to physical.
"Powerful new mobile devices and high-speed networks today make it possible to introduce entirely new categories of mobile services, and to give consumers new capabilities that enrich their lives," said Isaac Babbs, general manager of the lab, in a statement. "As an incubator, QSL is structured to help fast-track these new capabilities. We are focused on developing innovative new mobile applications and service models and getting them to market quickly."
Mobile services and applications developed by the lab will either be transferred to a new or existing Qualcomm division or established as a subsidiary company.
Already, the lab has launched four services, including a geo-fence-based location sharing service called Neer, the Qilroy social messaging app, the Magic Link URL shortening app geared for viral multimedia distribution across social networks and a friends-based social recommendation service called Vive. The apps are variously available for Android, Brew MP and iOS.