SAN DIEGO — Wireless technology giant Qualcomm has selected Weber Shandwick as it US PR agency for its corporate and divisions work, parting ways with longtime partner Hill + Knowlton.

The company’s global roster includes UK-based Liberty, Axicom, Burson-Marsteller and Edelman for digital work, among others. The budget is understood to be seven figures annually. The move comes as Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs stepped down March 4 for company veteran Steve Mollenkopf to take over the firm’s leadership.

It’s expected the company is putting more emphasis on emerging markets, and within the US, looking to stay competitive against chip supplier rivals like MediaTek, Broadcom and Intel. Even so, Qualcomm remains a market leader with $6.9 billion profit reported on $29.4 billion of revenues at the end of its 2013 fiscal year.