iTWire – Qualcomm’s latest innovation just happens to be its best

But the company’s latest innovation is probably the one that will be most welcomed – at least among the journalist class.

Companies have been prevented from pressing the flesh and indulging in small talk with the journos who cover the tech beat for almost five months now.

Given that, anything a company can come up with to break the sterile contact that is provided by Zoom and its ilk, would be welcomed with open arms.

Very simple. The company has its own way of getting round this and is providing a choice of cocktails to those who have opted to join its 35th birthday celebrations.

The invite said, in part: “To celebrate this milestone, we would like to invite you to attend a virtual birthday celebration and share a cocktail with Qualcomm.”

I must admit I scratched my head and, in the end, thought that there would be something on the lines of e-cards used.

But I was pleasantly surprised. After I sent in a response indicating that I would take part in the festivities on 20 August — wondering all the time how one could make a Zoom meeting room into anything even vaguely resembling a party — I promptly got a reply from Qualcomm representative Lauren McMillan offering me a choice of cocktails — manhattan, martini, negroni, old fashioned or coffee house — with the advice that the real thing would be delivered to me well in advance of the talk-fest so that I could savour it as I listened to the Qualcomm folk extol the virtues of their company.

Journalists and booze go together like strawberries and cream — or, better, like Microsoft and ransomware — and any idea that breaks the aura of boredom in this gloomy period is to be heartily welcomed.

Qualcomm’s innovations over the years have, no doubt, earned their rightful share of praise. But this idea really glows in the dark!