Qualcomm Aware 'will speed up supply chain transformation'

Qualcomm Technologies has unveiled a solution to help organisations harness real-time data to accelerate digital transformation programs in supply chain and procurement.

Qualcomm Aware is a  customisable platform designed to provide interoperability with private clouds, industry-specific platforms, and existing enterprise software tools for enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management, inventory management, and more. 

The San Diego, California company is the world's biggest provider of microprocessors that help smartphones connect to mobile data networks. But Qualcomm has used its wireless communication specialty to enter other markets where devices need to talk to the internet, such as automobiles and factories.

An early integration will be with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, which will allow customers to design a solution to meet their specific business needs. It will help companies that use its chips to keep tabs on goods as they move through the supply chain.

“The interoperability of software and hardware systems is key to delivering IoT solutions that enhance customer experiences,” said Ulrich Homann, Corporate VP Cloud & AI at Microsoft. “Through the integration with Dynamics 365, Qualcomm is providing customers with a seamless way to track assets, manage inventories and improve their operational efficiency.” 

Qualcomm Aware will address fragmented ecosystems

Qualcomm says that its new platform is designed to address “ecosystem fragmentation and system design complexity”, because this is a problem that “prevents IoT deployments from meeting their fullest potential”. 

The company added: “Qualcomm Aware will offer a set of differentiated services for managing assets that require critical, accurate, and time-sensitive decision making. 

“By providing global connectivity, and by optimising location technologies with sensor alerts and control features, it will help enterprises drive operational efficiencies.” 

Among the critical use-cases Qualcomm Aware can serve are cold chain distribution, utility asset monitoring, cargo shipment tracking, warehouse and inventory management.

It added that the solution “has the ability to work in the most difficult signal environments”. This, it says, includes indoors, underground, and when devices are offline.

“This robust location technology suite provides important awareness and condition monitoring context to enterprise solutions,” says Qualcomm. “This will enable end-to-end asset and operational visibility and help businesses everywhere be more informed and prepared.”