Press Releases

AUSTIN, TEXAS - May 16, 2007 - Wi-Fi
CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products sportingan eye-catching new logo will soon reach store shelves, as the Wi-Fi Alliancecertification program nears its late June launch. The Alliancetoday unveiled a re-designed consumer logo for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n Draft2.0 products, and announced the products and reference designs that willcomprise its test bed for interoperability certification.

With thepotential to deliver up to five times the throughput and up to twice the range ofprevious-generation Wi-Fi gear, products based on the new 802.11n draft 2.0standard can do more than ever before. Consumerswill soon be able to take advantage of whole-home coverage and content-richapplications such as streaming high-definition video, online gaming with multipleusers on a single network, and speedy file transfer of photos, music, and more. Enterpriseusers will be able leverage 802.11n products to increase network capacity and improverobustness.

Wi-Ficertification will ease the purchase process by delivering 802.11n draft 2.0products that have been tested for industry-wide interoperability, the verylatest security protection, and backward compatibility with previousgenerations of Wi-Fi gear.

"We areproud of the achievement of our member companies in developing thisbreakthrough certification program," said Wi-Fi Alliance managing director Frank Hanzlik. "This milestone means that consumers and business users alike can feelconfident that the 802.11n products they buy will deliver the user experiencethey require."

"With thearrival of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products, we end the practice ofuncertain claims of Wi-Fi draft compliance by independent vendors," said KenDulaney, vice president and distinguished analyst in Gartner Research. "Consumerscan now purchase products with improved performance and be assured ofinteroperability. Prospective buyers should understand that the Wi-FiAlliance will provide future certification for the eventual 802.11n finalspecification and assess their own timeframe for a movement to 802.11n."

"Wi-FiCERTIFIED 802.11n is a game-changing milestone for Wi-Fi technology that enablesthe truly networked home," added Hanzlik. "With the advancements of 802.11n, Wi-Fi is the very best technology toconnect computing, communication and entertainment devices. It can enable the entire family to accessexciting content throughout the home, while further extending the keyproductivity advantages of Wi-Fi in the business setting."

Wi-FiCERTIFIED 802.11n technology holds wide consumer appeal and will propel usersto use next-generation applications more frequently. Recent research from Wi-Fi Alliance andKelton Research indicates that 78% of US Wi-Fi users are interested in upgradingtheir Wi-Fi systems in order to gain improved range and/or throughput. Moreover, nearly 70% of the Wi-Fi userspolled indicated that a faster Wi-Fi connection would prompt them to usemultimedia applications such as video and gaming more frequently.

Thefollowing companies supply the products used in the interoperability test bed,and have the first devices to become Wi-Fi CERTIFIED:

• Atheros® XSPAN™ with SST™Draft 2.0 802.11n Dual-Concurrent 2.4/5GHz Router with AtherosAR7100 Series Wireless Network Processor
• Atheros® XSPAN™ withSST™ Draft 2.0 802.11n Dual-Band 2.4/5GHz Card Bus
• Broadcom® Intensi-Fi™ 802.11n Router:BCM94705GMP
• Broadcom® Intensi-Fi™ 802.11n Card:BCM94321MC123
• Cisco Access Point
• Intel® Wireless WiFi Link4965AGN
• Marvell® TopDog™ WLAN solutions(Station Card)
• Marvell® TopDog™ WLAN solutions(Access Point)
• Ralink MIMObility™ RT2800PDChipset featuring the RT2860 802.11n 2T3R MAC/BBP and the RT2850 802.11nDual Band RFIC
• Ralink MIMObility™ RT2800PD Access Point

• In addition, WildPackets OmniPeekWorkgroup Pro is included as a test bed software tool.

A white paperfor consumers and retailers entitled "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0: TakingWi-Fi to the Next Level," as well as a product search tool for Wi-Fi CERTIFIEDproducts, is available online at www.wi-fi.org.

About the Wi-Fi Alliance
TheWi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association ofmore than 300 member companies devoted to promoting the growth ofwireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). With the aim of enhancing the userexperience for mobile wireless devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance's testing andcertification programs ensure the interoperability of WLAN products based onthe IEEE 802.11 specification. Since the introduction of the Wi-FiAlliance's certification program in March 2000, more than 3,400products have been designated as Wi-FiCERTIFIED™, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services acrossthe consumer and enterprise markets. 

Mediacontact:
Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance: Michael Diamond,michael.diamond@edelman.com, +1 650-429-2772.