Qualcomm, a leading developer and innovator of wireless technologies, is eagerly awaiting Windows 8. With more than 300 devices released for 2011 and 350 more in development,  Qualcomm certainly has got momentum behind its efforts to leverage the launch of Windows 8. What's especially good news for Microsoft is Qualcomm's intention to keep investing in the entire Windows ecosystem, not just smartphones. Windows 8 will be the platform that merges Microsoft's various OS's into a single one, capable of running on tablets, smartphones, laptops and PCs. Says Steve Mollenkopf, Qualcomm's executive vice president:

We continue to invest in the Windows computing platform and associated ecosystem to address new device categories beyond traditional cellular. Microsoft recently demonstrated Windows 8 running on Snapdragon at their Build conference and highlighted how our mobile architecture enables a feature called connected standby. This feature enables a Windows 8 PC to run on low power mode and remain connected to the network in an always up-to-the-date much like smartphones do today. This underscores the advantages of our mobile architecture. We expect Windows 8 to be a significant opportunity for us beyond this fiscal year.

Qualcomm recently reported quarterly earnings of $1.06 billion, or 62 cents a share, 39 percent higher than a year ago. With 483 million CDMA handsets shipped already, Qualcomm predicts total revenue of $18 billion to $19 billion this year.