binary firmware plans(?)

["Matthew Jacob" <lydianconcepts%gmail.com@localhost>]

Charles Hannum, back in 2004, added some binary version of QLogic
firmware (and a very few other drivers) to the source tree (under
dev/ic/microcode).
There was a cryptic comment of "Add binary versions of firmware
images, which will be used Soon".

It's almost 4 years later. Does anyone have the slightest clue what
was intended here and is there any other kernel support framework that
actually could use these files at this point?