14 DAY TRIAL // Qualcomm announced the acquisition of SoftMax, a company that is focused on noise-reduction algorithms. This move is an important step towards the future mobile devices Qualcomm plans to manufacture.
The SoftMax technology uses an array of microphones in order to diminish the background noise in a conversation. Moreover, the company has developed algorithms to separate the noise from the actual conversation and drop the echo in order to achieve the clearest signal in a voice call.
One of the pioneers in voice enhancement for mobile telephony was Motorola with their CrystalTalk system. Motorola have implemented the new technology in their Razr2 line of phones.
According to company officials, the purchase will allow Qualcomm to use the SoftMax technology and algorithms in their mobile phones, Bluetooth headsets, VoIP phones and notebooks. Apart from delivering enhanced performance, the SoftMax "recipe" will spare battery consumption, processing cycles and memory. Qualcomm refused to give further details about the transaction or the role Softmax will play in the future development of the company.
The purchase will not bring technological advantage only, since Soft Max has partnerships with mobile operator SK Telecom and with communications chip maker Broadcom. At the same time, Broadcom is fighting Qualcomm over some voice-related technology patents.
Not long ago, Qualcomm purchased the wireless broadband vendor Flarion Technologies for their OFDMA (orthogonal frequency-division multiplex access) technology, a standard that has been widely adopted. Qualcomm is supposed to integrate SoftMax's algorithms in the chip systems they produce and then sell those to third-party hardware vendors.