802.11n Equipment Sales Show Continued Momentum One Year After Wi-Fi Alliance(R) Certification Begins
Posted on June 23, 2008
Filed Under WiFi
AUSTIN, Texas, June 23 /PRNewswire/ — Just one year after the Wi-Fi
Alliance introduced 802.11n draft 2.0 certification, the upward trajectory
of this next-generation Wi-Fi technology continues unabated. Nearly 50
percent of Wi-Fi chipsets sold this year are expected to adhere to the new
superfast draft standard — double the number from 2007.
To date, the Wi-Fi Alliance has put the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED seal of
approval — indicating validated product interoperability — on 325
products and is seeing strong numbers of 802.11n draft 2.0 products
presented for testing. Wi-Fi users have responded to the widespread
availability of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products with
unprecedented enthusiasm. ABI Research forecasts that by 2013, more than 90
percent of Wi-Fi products will support 802.11n, underscoring the tremendous
benefits of advanced Wi-Fi technology and the importance of
interoperability certification in delivering the best user experience.
The products which have been Wi-Fi CERTIFIED to date in the program
span both traditional PC networking gear and consumer electronics.
Televisions, media servers, and gaming devices are among the products
certified in the first year, and nearly half of the products also support
Wi-Fi Protected Setup(TM), which eases the process of configuring and
protecting a home Wi-Fi network. Enterprise network managers can now choose
from more 180 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED laptops, adapter cards, and networking
solutions that include 802.11n draft 2.0.
“Across the board, and with a range of consumer and enterprise devices,
we are seeing a real hunger for all things 802.11n draft 2.0,” said Edgar
Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. “The standard has
redefined the wireless experience, enabling streaming video, gaming, and
other media throughout the home, while enabling advanced applications in
enterprise networks. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED delivers a great user experience with
a wide range of Wi-Fi products.”
“Consumers will increasingly demand the performance boost that 802.11n
draft 2.0 provides for data-intensive applications, including high
definition video.” said Phil Solis, principal analyst at ABI Research.
“Acceptance by enterprise customers will catch up to that of consumers this
year due to the maturity of the technology and the increased availability
of enterprise-grade Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products over the
last year.”
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products have been tested for
interoperability across vendors, adherence to WPA2(TM) (Wi-Fi Protected
Access) security protocols, and backward compatibility with more than 4,500
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11 a/b/g products. Products based on the IEEE 802.11n
draft 2.0 deliver up to five times the throughput and up to twice the range
of those based on previous standards, enabling a wide range of content-rich
applications, and delivering those applications over a larger footprint.
The certification program also includes WMM(R) (Wi-Fi Multimedia) quality
of service, which helps deliver the best user experience with applications
such as voice, video and gaming.
With a rapidly increasing number of draft-based products entering the
market, the Wi-Fi Alliance began certifying products ahead of the final
IEEE 802.11n standard to help ensure interoperability and the best user
experience. The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to certify products based on the final
version of the 802.11n standard once finalized by the IEEE (Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers).
“With so many companies now bringing Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0
products to the market, and in light of the heavy demand for the advanced
technology, it is clear that the Wi-Fi Alliance made the right decision at
the right time. Our decision gave users confidence and drove growth in the
market,” Figueroa said.
A list of all Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products and free white
papers on 802.11n technology are available at http://www.wi-fi.org.
About the Wi-Fi Alliance
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association of more
than 300 member companies devoted to promoting the growth of wireless Local
Area Networks (WLANs). With the aim of enhancing the user experience for
wireless portable, mobile, and home entertainment devices, the Wi-Fi
Alliance’s testing and certification programs help ensure the
interoperability of WLAN products based on the IEEE 802.11 specification.
Since the introduction of the Wi-Fi Alliance’s certification program in
March 2000, more than 4,500 products have been designated as Wi-Fi
CERTIFIED(TM), encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services
across the consumer and enterprise markets.
Wi-Fi(R), Wi-Fi Alliance(R), WMM(R), the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo, the
Wi-Fi logo, and the Wi-Fi ZONE logo are registered trademarks of the Wi-Fi
Alliance; Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM), Wi-Fi Protected Setup(TM), Wi-Fi Protected
Access (WPA)(TM), Wi-Fi Multimedia(TM), and the Wi-Fi Alliance logo are
trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
SOURCE Wi-Fi Alliance
Share ThisComments
Leave a Reply