Growth Signals

Dramatic Increase In WI-FI Certified Wireless LAN Products Signals Strong Industry Growth. Twenty-five Additional Wi-Fi Interoperability Certifications Awarded By The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA).

by ISP-Planet Staff [July 16, 2001]

The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) awarded 25 new Wi-Fi certifications for wireless LAN product interoperability this week. The group contends that this unprecedented number of certifications signals a dramatic growing demand for wireless LAN products. This brings the number of Wi-Fi-certified products to 141 since the certification's inception in March of 2000.

David Cohen, WECA chairman, said Wi-Fi certification has clearly demonstrated that consumers want assurance when purchasing a wireless LAN.

"The Wi-Fi logo on a wireless LAN product gives them that assurance," Cohen said. "That is why Wi-Fi wireless LANs have seen tremendous growth through retail channels, in the enterprise and in public access areas like hotels and airports."

"The rapid market growth validates the importance of this assurance combined with Wi-Fi's high level of performance," Cohen added. "That is why 47 companies, from around the world, have sought certification for their Wi-Fi wireless LAN products."

Some of the new products granted certification include:

Cisco Systems: Cisco Access Point AIR-BR350. The Cisco Aironet 350 Series Access Point (left) delivers a cost-effective, reliable, secure, and easily managed wireless LAN (WLAN) solution for enterprise, small, and medium-sized businesses. It also combines industry-leading radio performance, range, and reliability with integrated network services for security, mobility, and management. The Cisco Aironet 350 Series AP is the first and only solution that delivers business-class WLAN services for enterprise and medium-sized businesses.

D-Link Systems: PCI DWL-500 and Access Point DWL-1000AP

D-Link delivers complete Ethernet solutions for the Small Office/Home Office (SOHO), Workgroup, and Enterprise environments. The Company offers a full line of Broadband solutions, DSL/Cable Modems, Wireless connectivity, USB technology, Phoneline technology, digital cameras, Multi-media technology, Dual Speed Hubs, Switches, Network Interface Cards, Print Servers Transceivers and Accessories.

Hewlett-Packard:
Wireless LAN Module 802UI and Mini-PCI Card 802MIP

HP offers a range of corporate and small business wireless LAN solutions. Both Corporate and Small business Access points offered by HP run with RF Module 802.11b at speeds ranging from 1 to 11Mbits—depending on the distance you are from the access point.

IBM:
ThinkPad 802.11b Wireless LAN Mini-PCI Adapter with 56k Modem

ThinkPad i Series notebooks are sleek and lightweight, designed to deliver a better e-xperience at an affordable price. Choice of optical drives now includes a CD-RW drive for storage of large amounts of data and even music. Plus, new 2X AGP 3D graphics and a bright 13.3” display improve video performance.

Siemens: Access Point I-GATE 11M I/LAN/S3129-K212-A. Siemens I-GATE gear allows small or midsize business (SMB) to connect the PCs and notebooks with workstations or household wireless connection. Designed to deliver mobility, it saves money in terms of installation, relocation and operating expenditures. I-GATE is as reliable as a wired network. Scalable due to its modular design, it can be used with a multitude of network setups. I-GATE 2 Mbps is suitable for ordinary office applications, 11 Mbps for data-intensive applications. Both systems are available as an ISDN version for Internet connection and as a LAN version (Ethernet) to supplement existing wired networks.

Other products obtaining the Wi-Fi seal of approval include:

• 2Wire: HomePortal 1000W, 1000CW, 1500CW, 1500W, 1600W 1600CW, 2000CW and 2000W Residential Gateways
• Askey Computer Corporation: Access Point RTW010 Wireless LAN PC Card
• Intermec Technologies: Wireless PC Card WL11000-1-5V
• Linksys Group: Wireless USB Adapter WUSB11 and Linksys Station Card Model WPC11 V2.5
• NETGEAR: 802.11b Wireless PC Card/MA401
• Nortel Networks: E-Mobility DSSS AP DR4000E02, PC Card DR4000001and PCI Card DR 4000005
• Toshiba: Wireless Access Point WBG-1000

The Wi-Fi logo serves as the seal of interoperability for IEEE 802.11b wireless LAN products that have successfully completed stringent "Wireless Fidelity" interoperability testing. Products awarded the Wi-Fi logo have undergone strict, rigorous and independent testing at Agilent's Silicon Valley Networking Lab (SVNL).

—End

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