James D. Y. Collier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Collier
FRS FREng
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Collier in 2016
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| Born | December 1958 (age 66) |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
| Awards | MacRobert Award |
| Scientific career | |
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James Digby Yarlet Collier (born in December 1958) is a smart British scientist and engineer. He is known for his work in wireless technology. He was the chief technology officer (CTO) at Neul Limited. Before that, he held important technical jobs at companies like Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR), UbiNetics, Cambridge Consultants, and Schlumberger.
Contents
Early Life and Education
James Collier was born in December 1958. He went to the University of Oxford, a famous university in England. There, he studied physics and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.
A Career in Wireless Technology
Creating CSR: Wireless for Everyone
James Collier was one of the nine people who started a company called Cambridge Silicon Radio (CSR). This company began as a spin-off from Cambridge Consultants. At CSR, Collier was the Chief Technology Officer. CSR became a very important company for making tiny computer chips that help devices connect wirelessly.
CSR made chips for things like:
- Bluetooth: This lets your phone connect to wireless headphones or speakers.
- GPS: This helps you find your way using maps on your phone or car.
- Wi-Fi: This connects your devices to the internet without cables.
CSR was a "fabless" company, meaning they designed the chips but didn't make them in their own factories. They were the first to create a single chip that combined a radio transmitter, a tiny computer (microprocessor), and other parts needed for Bluetooth technology. This made wireless devices smaller and more affordable. The methods they developed are now used in many wireless gadgets we use every day. In 2015, a big company called Qualcomm bought CSR.
Other Important Roles
Before CSR, James Collier worked at Cambridge Consultants from 1984 to 1999. He held many leadership and technical roles there. Even before that, he worked at Schlumberger in various technical positions. He also served as a director for UbiNetics IP Ltd starting in 2005.
Exploring New Wireless Ideas with Neul
In 2010, Collier started another company called Neul Limited with Glenn Collinson. They raised about £8 million to begin. Neul wanted to explore new ways for machines to "talk" to each other wirelessly. This is called machine to machine communication.
Neul was located in Cambridge Science Park. They worked on using "white space spectrum," which are unused parts of the radio waves, to create new wireless networks. In 2013, there was a change in management at Neul, and Collier later moved on from the company. Neul faced challenges in making its technology widely used and was later bought by Huawei in 2014.
Awards and Special Honours
James Collier has received several important awards and honours for his work:
- In 2005, he won the MacRobert Award with his CSR teammates John Hodgson, Phil O'Donovan, Glenn Collinson, and Chris Ladas. This award recognized their amazing work on the "Bluecore" chip for Bluetooth.
- In 2016, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honour for scientists in the UK.
- He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET).
- He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng).
