In 1985, Irwin Mark Jacobs founded Qualcomm Incorporated, a company dealing in the areas of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) phones, integrated CDMA chipsets and software, technology licensing, wireless digital communications, and satellite positioning and communications, and serves as its Chairman and CEO. Building on his education and professional background in technology, Jacobs has been involved in all design aspects of the systems produced by his company. He is the holder of six patents in communications systems. In addition to creating core technologies, he utilizes his unique business skills and abilities to predict future markets for Qualcomm products and has led the company to rapid growth and profitability.
Prior to founding Qualcomm, Jacobs was co-founder, president, chairman and CEO of Linkabit Corporation. He saw the company through from its inception to its merger with M/A-COM Incorporated. Prior to launching Linkabit, Jacobs was an Assistant/Associate Professor of electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While at MIT he co-authored a textbook in communications theory, Principles of Communication Engineering. He later joined the University of California at San Diego in the Department of Applied Electrophysics.
Inspired by Jacobs' philosophy, Qualcomm is a business with a stimulating, free, innovative environment, regularly recognized as one of the best U.S. companies to work for. The company is also a community partner contributing to higher education institutions in an effort to bridge the "digital divide" as well as promote engineering education; and also contributes to community cultural institutions across the country.
In 1994, Jacobs received the nation's highest honor in technology, the National Medal of Technology Award, for his achievements in the commercialization and development of technology.
Jacobs received his B.E.E. from Cornell University and both his M.S. and Sc.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Information as of April 2001