Qualcomm flaunts its ability in AI and Connected Intelligent Edge

• A few months after Qualcomm shared how the company is driving the emergence of the Connected Intelligent Edge, the US chip designer shared further updates in a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur.

Back at Qualcomm Investor Day in 2021, President and CEO Cristiano Amon shared how the company is leading the realization of the “connected intelligent edge,” where the convergence of wireless connectivity, efficient computing, and distributed AI will power devices and experiences. “We are working to enable a world where everyone and everything is intelligently connected,” Amon said.

He stated that Qualcomm’s mobile heritage and DNA put the company in “an incredible position to provide high-performance, low-power computing, on-device intelligence, all wireless technologies, and leadership across AI processing and connectivity and camera graphics and sensors.” For Qualcomm, Amon sees this as an opportunity to engage a US$700 billion addressable market in the next decade.

Fast forward to today, Qualcomm, as part of its ongoing campaign, “The Edge of Possible,” highlighted the significance of driving edge computing innovations to transform industries, power new consumer experiences, and fuel the growth of the digital economy. In a media briefing held in Kuala Lumpur on March 29, Qualcomm shared its progress in the space.

Connected Intelligent Edge with Qualcomm

For starters, the Connected Intelligent Edge, according to Qualcomm, is the convergence of 5G networks, edge computing, and AI. “This integration allows data to be processed and analyzed in real time, allowing faster decision-making and response times. As a result, various industries, including manufacturing, transportation, and security, can use this technology,” said Alicia Lim, head of marketing for Qualcomm Southeast Asia.

In terms of sector, for instance, Connected Intelligent Edge devices monitor patients in real-time, like tracking a patient’s vital signs, such as blood pressure and heart rate, and send the information to healthcare providers in real-time. This method allows medical professionals to identify issues and take appropriate action quickly.

In transportation, Connected Intelligent Edge devices are used to make vehicles safer and more efficient. “For example, sensors placed throughout a car can monitor its performance and provide real-time data to the driver, alerting them to any issues. The information can help prevent accidents and improve fuel efficiency, reducing costs and environmental impact,” Lim told the press during the briefing.

From a client’s perspective, Malaysia’s telco provider YTL Communications shared how Qualcomm’s Connected Intelligent Edge devices have helped the company maintain a seamless operation. “We are fortunate to have been given early access to a Connected Intelligent Edge device known as the AI Box by Qualcomm to be deployed in our building,” CEO Wing K Lee shared.

The AI Box is an intelligent edge device that supports traditional IP camera video streams to be offloaded and processed via the box — powered by system-on-chip (SOC) designed for high computing and high concurrency of machine learning-based analytics across multiple camera streams. 

“With the AI box, we have applied localized processing intelligence from an analytics standpoint. The AI Box approach is aligned with the industry’s shift from video management software (VMS) to Video software as a service (VsaaS) implementation, enabling us to optimize our operations,” Lee noted.

Separately, Lim also shared how Qualcomm and Microsoft collaborated on Snapdragon to enable these new AI-accelerated experiences for Windows 11 — without impacting performance and power efficiency. “Instead, Snapdragon intelligently offloads these computationally intensive tasks to a dedicated AI engine, which frees up the CPU and GPU resources,” she said. 

To top it off, adding on-device AI processing to powerful CPU and GPU capabilities adds the ability to offload compute-intensive processes. “As a result, performance is dramatically increased, delivering a higher user experience. Snapdragon computes platforms offer AI-accelerated user experiences to reach a new level of mobile computing performance,” Lim shared.

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