Broadcom is showing it’s support of the Android OS by announcing it will be demonstrating a better integration of Android with its wireless connectivity solutions such as Wifi, Bluetooth and GPS at the 2010 Mobile World Congress next week in Barcelona, Spain.  “Broadcom’s support for the Android open OS will help drive these key wireless capabilities into increasing numbers of handset devices as Android gains broader adoption in the industry.”  This apparently includes a “…multimedia tablet device based on the BCM11211 VoIP processor…”

Here is part of the press release found on prnewswire this morning.  Most of it is generic press release verbage, but I found one item of particular interest, which I have highlighted in the Android green.

Highlights/Key Facts:

• The Android open OS has emerged as a key technology component that is driving the proliferation of advanced functionality in increasingly affordable handset devices, with industry analyst Gartner estimating that nearly one in six smartphones will be based on the Android OS by 2013.
• Android smartphones offer all of the advanced connectivity features as phones based on other operating systems. Nearly 100 percent of smartphones sold today offer Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi, and these wireless connectivity technologies are helping to drive the popularity of Android-based phones.
• Broadcom® Bluetooth software is among the most prevalent in the industry, making available the broadest range of popular profiles such as Object Push, File Transfer and Phonebook Access, as well as support for Bluetooth 3.0 features including high-speed connectivity. The Broadcom software stack features Bluetooth profiles for Android that are not available elsewhere and employs the same application interface design as existing BlueZ profiles to ensure a consistent experience across Android phones for both the consumer and the application development community.
• Broadcom, a member of the Open Handset Alliance, offers strong support for Android in its Wi-Fi products, with its OneDriver™ software stack among the most mature in the industry including source code that is part of the generic Android distribution. OneDriver software, which includes Bluetooth 3.0 + HS support, is bundled with Broadcom’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo chip solutions, and its Android drivers reliably bring key emerging features to Android-based phones. These advanced features include:
  • Support for Wi-Fi Direct — the forthcoming standard that allows smartphones and other Wi-Fi devices to connect to one another for transferring large files or for streaming digital media without the need for a wireless access point.
  • Support for WAPI — the Chinese security protocol that enables OEMs to address the growing market for Internet connected handsets in China.
  • Support for ‘Soft Access Point’ – which allows the Wi-Fi component in a client device (such as a notebook computer or smartphone) to function as an access point enabling connectivity sharing with other devices.
• Broadcom supports Android for its GPS receivers, including its industry leading navigation solution, full control plane and user plane protocol stacks, and tightly integrated hybrid location services that offer customers a complete location solution for handsets and other mobile devices based on Android.
• As part of the Mobile World Congress demonstrations next week, Broadcom is also showcasing Android support across a range of other solutions including:
  • The BCM4760 navigation processor to enable advanced personal navigation devices (PNDs) and other location-aware products.

  Multi-chip Android support in a consumer multimedia tablet device based on the BCM11211 VoIP processor and leverages the BCM1181 for multimedia processing, the BCM4329 for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and the BCM4750 for GPS.

• Broadcom’s support for Android also extends to its InConcert® technology which makes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi work better together in smartphones, notebooks, netbooks and other mobile devices. With the proliferation of Bluetooth 3.0 + HS and Wi-Fi Direct, InConcert and the new Maestro™ software platform ensure the smooth operation of each wireless technology and a less complicated user experience.

I wonder which tablet they are referring too. I have a feeling we might find out next week.

prnewswire

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BCM11211, BCM4329, BCM4750, Bluetooth, Broadcom, Chips, GPS, Mobile World Congress, Wi-Fi