CES 2025: Qualcomm gets more Aware with industry-connected intelligence

Looking to place itself at the forefront of industrial intelligence as all endpoints are getting connected and more intelligent at the edge with more insights through sensing, analysing and actuation, Qualcomm Technologies has announced the next evolution of its Qualcomm Aware cloud-based services platform.

Offering a rationale for the upgrade, the technology firm believes that in the new industrial era, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is changing how humans interact with devices, meaning businesses need to solve the complexity of building solutions to address industrial challenges.

Described as a horizontal internet of things (IoT) enablement platform, Qualcomm Aware is said to have been designed to empower device manufacturers, enterprises and users with valuable device visibility and management capabilities to extend usable life and add tailored services and actionable insights for more informed decision-making.

It is said to allow companies to add observability, monitoring and location capabilities to intelligently connected devices across industries, including logistics, retail, energy, smart home and robotics. Moreover, Qualcomm said it offers a “highly integrated” way to add cloud-based observability and insights, geolocation, fine indoor positioning, firmware updates and device management services to connected devices.

Initially launched in the tracking and logistics segment, the solution is now said to be evolving to deliver visibility, positioning, device management and other value-added services across industries. Positioning services have the capacity to process billions of transactions per day, with approximately 30 million monthly active units. It already has over 20 unique commercial customers – with signed and in-process contracts – of Qualcomm devices. The platform has undergone more than 100 trials to date.

Regarded as a “key component” of its broader IoT Solutions Framework, the upgraded Qualcomm Aware will be pre-integrated across select Qualcomm Technologies chipsets and third-party hardware. It features a number of connectivity improvements enhancements to inter-operator roaming algorithms to improve connectivity with smart RF band scans to reduce outage duration. It also boasts power improvements to the extent of a 65% reduction in consumption compared with the baseline LTE modem and also offers improvements to the behaviour of the modem.

Key use cases include dash cameras, vehicle gateway; public safety, law enforcement and traffic control; collaboration and live broadcasting; integrated physical security and video surveillance; drones and robotics; and frictionless retail and loss prevention.

For example, device manufacturers could unlock new insights on the connected devices they sell and take preventative actions to fix and troubleshoot devices. In addition, retailers can understand how often their high-value inventory turns over and get alerts if items are stolen. Distributors can also view delivery efficiency and accuracy metrics for their fleets, and users of those devices can add longevity to devices by always having them equipped with the latest software, operating system and features.

“The Qualcomm Aware Platform can help solve some of the most critical challenges in building, customising and deploying intelligently connected solutions,” said Nakul Duggal, group general manager of automotive, industrial and embedded IoT, and cloud computing at Qualcomm Technologies.

“This highly integrated approach provides a simple way for enterprises to add value to devices through a comprehensive suite of cloud-based visibility insights, geolocation services and device management tools that can be customised to meet specific industry needs, helping businesses accelerate time to market, unlock additional value and drive innovation.”