AMD licences its graphics tech to Qualcomm

TODAY AMD announced it has agreed to license its graphics technology to Qualcomm for inclusion in the next generation of cellphone chipsets.

In a press release, AMD said this licensing agreement is part of both companies' drive to support strength in a mobile gaming ecosystem and "unleash state-of-the-art graphics across a range of handheld devices to delight mobile consumers everywhere."

It will make AMD's patented Unified Shader Architecture -- used in Microsoft's Xbox 360 gaming console -- available in Qualcomm's cellphone chipsets.

Steve Mollenkopf, senior vice president of product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, said "Qualcomm’s licensing of AMD's industry-leading OpenGL ES 2.0 [intellectual property] for integration into our chipset solutions allows us to continue our leadership in providing the highest quality graphics application experience in the industry." µ