Qualcomm Atheros, Inc.

San Jose, CA United States

  (NASDAQ: ATHR)

Company Description

Qualcomm Atheros (formerly Atheros Communications) builds high-speed connections right through the ether. Its radio-frequency (RF) transceiver chipsets combine features such as a radio, power amplifier, low-noise amplifier, and a media access control processor onto just two or three chips, eliminating the need for bulkier components in wireless networking gear. Customers have included Apple, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Hon Hai, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. The fabless chip company was started by faculty members from Stanford and Berkeley. Most of its sales are to customers in Asia, principally in Taiwan and China. In 2011 QUALCOMM bought Atheros Communications in a deal valued at around $3 billion, and changed its name.