New online tool helps consumers find Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ products for home, work, mobility, and more

Las Vegas, NV, January 5, 2015 - With Wi-Fi® sales set to pass the ten billion unit mark in January 2015, Wi-Fi Alliance® has introduced a new tool to make it easier for consumers to find products that deliver the great experience synonymous with Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ Product Finder makes it easy to find products that have passed rigorous testing and meet the interoperability, security, and technology benchmarks required to carry the iconic Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo. Users can search by device type and advanced Wi-Fi capabilities such as Passpoint™, Miracast®, and Wi-Fi Direct®.

The launch of the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Product Finder coincides with the significant milestone for the industry, which is expected continue to grow at an annual rate of ten percent for the next five years. ABI Research, which has tracked Wi-Fi shipments since the industry’s inception, indicates that at the end of 2014, 9.98 billion Wi-Fi devices had been sold worldwide and that about 4.5 billion Wi-Fi products are in use today.

“We’ve watched the Wi-Fi industry continue to grow at an impressive pace throughout its history, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down,” said research director Phil Solis, ABI Research. “We expect strong growth to continue, because of the many Wi-Fi technology advancements ahead and new categories such as automotive, smart home, and industrial IoT, where Wi-Fi will play a big role.”

ABI estimates that more than 2.3 billion Wi-Fi devices were sold in 2014 with mobile phones, tablets, and e-readers comprising 64 percent of shipments. Of Wi-Fi devices shipped in 2014, 46 percent included Wi-Fi Direct for device-to-device connectivity.

“With 6.5 million Wi-Fi devices shipping every day, the Product Finder makes it easy for business users and consumers alike to find what they need,” said Kelly Davis-Felner, VP of marketing for Wi-Fi Alliance. “Naturally, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo and the user experience it symbolizes has been fundamental to the technology’s market success, and we’re pleased to make it easier for consumers to find terrific Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products.”

The industry’s growth has been closely paralleled by growth of Wi-Fi Alliance certification programs. More than 23,000 products have completed Wi-Fi certification since March of 2000, and new product categories in automotive, smart home, and wearables have begun to emerge in the product certification traffic. Consumers today choose from among a broad range of brands when purchasing Wi-Fi products, making the new Product Finder an indispensable tool in the shopping process. Visit the finder at www.wi-fi.org/product-finder.

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association – our members are the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. The members of our collaboration forum come from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem and share a common vision of connecting everyone and everything, everywhere. Since 2000, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, industry-standard security protections, and the latest technology. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 23,000 products, delivering the best user experience and encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets. Today, billions of
Wi-Fi products carry a significant portion of the world’s data traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. 

New features and interoperable services streamline user experience and provide a platform for developer innovation

Austin, Texas, September 15, 2014 - Wi-Fi Alliance® has added to its broadly-adopted Wi-Fi Direct® certification program a set of services built on a platform of new usability mechanisms. The added optional features in the certification enhance the usefulness of the popular peer-to-peer technology for vendors and developers. Devices certified to support the new services can now “discover, connect and do” in a single step, and immediately implement interoperable services for several common tasks.

Underlying the enhancements is a new application service platform designed to make it easier for the industry to develop new applications to operate over Wi-Fi Direct connections by providing a common approach to service discovery and onboarding. Products supporting the Wi-Fi Direct Toolkit will offer a developer interface to the platform for use when building applications to run on Wi-Fi Direct connections. Rather than relying on the user to configure a connection before using an application, an application itself will be able to initiate a Wi-Fi Direct connection between devices from various brands.

Four services are now certified in the program, providing immediate value to the industry and end users:

• Wi-Fi Direct Send - One or more devices quickly and easily can now send and receive content with minimal user interaction
• Wi-Fi Direct Print - With a single command, print documents directly from a smartphone, tablet or PC
• Wi-Fi Direct for DLNA® - Devices supporting DLNA interoperability guidelines discover each other before connecting to stream content   
• Miracast® - Now, devices can implement the updated device and service discovery mechanisms of Wi-Fi Direct to enable screen mirroring and display in one step

“Easy-to-use peer-to-peer connectivity and a common approach for developers are key features to propel further innovation leveraging Wi-Fi® in the mobile, smart home, and consumer electronics segments,” said Philip Solis, research director at ABI Research. “The enhancements provide immediately useful solutions for product vendors, as well as a new platform for developer innovation, making Wi-Fi Direct more valuable to industry and end users alike.”

ABI Research estimates that two billion Wi-Fi Direct devices have been shipped to date, and that 81 percent of all Wi-Fi devices will be Wi-Fi Direct-enabled by 2018. Wi-Fi Direct has been widely adopted, with more than 6,000 certifications completed since the initial program launch in October 2010. The list of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct products includes a range of televisions, mobile phones, printers, PCs and tablets, as well as silicon from all major Wi-Fi chipset vendors.

“Wi-Fi Direct already delivers device-to-device connectivity to billions of devices, and with these important additions in our certification program, we expect Wi-Fi Direct will become indispensable,” said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance. “We are pleased to bring these services to vendors and to foster developer innovation with the new toolkit.”

The first products to support the new service enhancements, and which comprise the test suite for interoperability certification, include:

• Google Nexus 10
• Marvell Avastar 88W8797 802.11 a/b/g/n Reference Design
• Mediatek MT6592+6625 Phone
• Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 800 based Linux Android System with XSPAN™ 802.11n Connectivity
• Realtek 2x2 11a/b/g/n/ac MiniCard
• Seiko Epson 100-120v, 100w, WFDS PWG Raster Print Service Reference Design

Industry response to the updated Wi-Fi Direct program:

"DLNA has included Wi-Fi Direct in its interoperability guidelines since 2011," said Scott Lofgren, DLNA president and chairman of the organization's board of directors. "We are pleased to be able to work with Wi-Fi Alliance to support their new additions to Wi-Fi Direct. The Wi-Fi Direct for DLNA application will make it even easier for consumers to send, receive, and display content on multiple screens using DLNA."

“With the advent of the IoT (Internet of Things) era, LG recognizes the significance of not just connectivity between devices but more importantly, interactivity,” said Hyunghoon Oh, senior vice president, Mobile Communications R&D Center, LG Electronics. “Through the Wi-Fi Direct service enhancements, we believe we will all be able to have the same connectivity and interactive experience regardless of device type and brand; this is why we are pleased to have incorporated such meaningful technology into the LG G3 for our consumers to enjoy.” The LG G3 smartphone has achieved certification for the expanded Wi-Fi Direct features.

“Epson has implemented the Wi-Fi Direct Print service to give users a simple, direct connection to print from their mobile devices,” said Yasunori Orii, General Manager of Printer Product Planning & Design Department.  “Our commitment to the testing efforts for interoperability by supplying a test bed device to Wi-Fi Alliance efforts will lead to better user experience in direct printing applications.”

"Marvell supports the innovative service enhancements to the Wi-Fi Direct platform," said Kevin Tang, Sr. Director of Marketing, IoT BU Connectivity Solutions. “This program greatly improves end user experience by enabling applications that simply discover, connect and interact device-to-device. Marvell is pleased to be a key part of this program and looks forward to proliferating this technology across our rich Wi-Fi connectivity product portfolio to further our goal of driving the Smart Life and Smart Lifestyle."

For more information on Wi-Fi Direct and a full list of certified products, please visit http://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-direct.

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association – our members are the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. The members of our collaboration forum come from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem and share a vision of seamless connectivity. Since 2000, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, industry-standard security protections, and the latest technology. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 20,000 products, delivering the best user experience and encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets. Today, billions of Wi-Fi products carry a significant portion of the world’s data traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. 

Industry commitment to the best user experience lies at the heart of one of technology’s greatest success stories

Austin, Texas, September 8, 2014 - This year, Wi-Fi Alliance® celebrates 15 years of connecting people and improving everyday lives with Wi-Fi®. Interoperability, ease of use, and innovation have made Wi-Fi one of the greatest success stories of the last century, and Wi-Fi Alliance has an extensive roadmap to carry the technology well into the future. Since its founding in 1999, the industry organization has been delivering on its vision of seamless connectivity - evolving its technologies and certification programs to keep pace with the requirements of today’s connected world.

A culture of collaboration

Founded by six companies to develop and validate multi-vendor interoperability, Wi-Fi Alliance has grown into an organization of nearly 650 companies and a driving force in Wi-Fi’s ascent to one of the world’s most-loved and widely used technologies. With billions of devices in use today, Wi-Fi exemplifies the value of industry-wide standards and multi-vendor collaboration to support technology adoption.

“Wi-Fi Alliance nurtures a unique environment where our industry comes together to collaborate on interoperability, and to advance Wi-Fi into new market segments and applications,” said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance. “Healthy debate and effective collaboration are Wi-Fi Alliance hallmarks that ultimately result in solutions that positively impact the economy, business strategy, and people’s quality of life.”

“No other technology organization has been more successful than Wi-Fi Alliance in driving industry collaboration for the benefit of users,” said Craig Mathias, Principal of Farpoint Group. “The essential ubiquity of Wi-Fi is a key result of the work of the Alliance and its members.”

A passion for great technology

Wi-Fi’s evolution since 1999 has been marked by continued advancement and a commitment to legacy interoperability. Far from the original 11 Mbps data rate offered in the first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ products, today’s most advanced Wi-Fi devices can deliver as much as 1 Gbps of data rate when communicating with other current-generation technology, and can also connect to legacy devices – preserving value for users over the long term. Just a few years after its proliferation in laptops and access points, and propelled by Wi-Fi Alliance technologies addressing ease of use and quality of service, Wi-Fi proliferated in smartphones and consumer electronics. Device-to-device connectivity was introduced with Wi-Fi Direct®, easy-to-use display with Miracast®, and seamless access to Wi-Fi hotspots with Passpoint™.

At the core of market growth

Today, Wi-Fi is in broad use in homes, enterprises, public spaces and hotspots. Fifteen years since its origin, the numbers are testament to the technology’s value:

• More than 22,000 products have been Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, including more than 4,000 phones and tablets, 6,000 access points, 1,100 printers, and 3,500 televisionsi
• Consumer demand for Wi-Fi has continued to grow, with sales figures of about two billion Wi-Fi devices sold in 2013 alone and a forecast exceeding four billion in 2020ii
• Wi-Fi is used in 25 percent of homes around the worldiii

“Many of the most popular cultural trends and technologies from the last 15 years got their start and maintained their popularity because of Wi-Fi,” said Kevin Fitchard, Senior Writer at Gigaom. “Wi-Fi has not only been a source of tremendous capacity, but also an incredible driver of innovation.”

Academic research indicates that the combination of Wi-Fi data offload and the benefits of Wi-Fi-enabled homes created more than US $48 billion in economic surplus in the United States alone.iv

An exciting future

“Wi-Fi has significantly improved the lives of people and societies all over the world over the last 15 years, but we are just getting started,” said Greg Ennis, Vice President of Technology for Wi-Fi Alliance. “Wi-Fi and other technologies from Wi-Fi Alliance will be front and center for many years to come, connecting people and things in ways we can only imagine today.”

The Wi-Fi Alliance roadmap features a number of key elements that will support the proliferation of the organization’s certified technologies into a number of new segments and applications.

• New frequency bands will deliver just the right kind of connection. WiGig CERTIFIED™ will deliver interoperable products supporting multiple-gigabit data rates for room-range connectivity in 60 GHz in 2016. Wi-Fi Alliance has also begun work to define certification programs based on 802.11ah and 802.11af, for operation below 1 GHz to support longer-range, very-low-power connectivity.
• Wi-Fi will connect new types of devices to each other and the internet. With the Internet of Everything emerging as the next major wave of connected innovation, Wi-Fi’s reach will extend into the smart home, connected cars, sensing and control networks, and much more. Already the technology of choice for its long-lived compatibility and robust security, advances in power management, ease of use, and common foundations for service discovery and enablement are setting the stage for massive growth of the Wi-Fi Internet of Everything.
• Core Wi-Fi technologies will continue to advance. The Wi-Fi that consumers and enterprises have come to rely on every day keeps getting better. Wi-Fi Alliance members are bringing new power saving mechanisms to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products, improving the mobility experience, and much more. An update to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED ac, the most advanced Wi-Fi available, will validate interoperability of several performance-enhancing features in late 2015.

For more information please visit www.15yearsofwi-fi.com.

Watch our video for more about Wi-Fi Alliance and Wi-Fi’s impact on the world.

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association – our members are the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. The members of our collaboration forum come from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem and share a vision of seamless connectivity. Since 2000, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, industry-standard security protections, and the latest technology. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 20,000 products, delivering the best user experience and encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets. Today, billions of Wi-Fi products carry a significant portion of the world’s data traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications.

Austin, Texas, July 8, 2014 – Wi-Fi Alliance® is pleased to note that the United States Department of Transportation has issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for the next stage of its connected vehicle certification program (http://www.federalgrants.com/Connected-Vehicle-Next-Stage-Certification-Environment-46654.html). This initiative promises to advance the United States towards wide-scale implementation of both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure capabilities aimed at improving traffic safety and efficiency.

The success of the connected vehicle certification program will hinge on delivering interoperable products and solutions that governments, industry, and consumers can depend on. As the de facto industry organization responsible for certification of products implementing the IEEE 802.11 standard, Wi-Fi Alliance has delivered multiple generations of interoperable Wi-Fi® products, to the benefit of consumers and economies around the world. Wi-Fi Alliance is positioned to play a key role as the U.S. connected vehicle program matures into the certification and deployment phases.

Wi-Fi Alliance processes for developing, launching, and sustaining interoperability certification programs have been developed to a benchmark level of excellence over the past 15 years since the organization’s founding. These processes are based on the experience gained over the course of developing and delivering more than 20 separate certification programs, and certifying more than 20,000 unique Wi-Fi products. A successful connected vehicle program will require the same comprehensive approach to ensure true product interoperability in field deployments.

Wi-Fi Alliance’s success, and indeed the proliferation of Wi-Fi itself, stem from our collaboration framework, in which more than 600 member companies, under the protection of mature policies and procedures, actively participate in the development of specific test requirements, test plans, and test tools. The Wi-Fi Alliance process of developing, commercializing and administering certification programs is facilitated by a staff organization consisting of numerous subject matter experts and program managers, in addition to physical and information technology assets. Ultimately, Wi-Fi Alliance certification programs are available to the industry through a worldwide network of 19 independent authorized test laboratories, each of which supports a quality system, ISO 17025 recommendations, and ISO Guide 65 principles.

The standards for connected vehicles cover a range of protocol layers and functionality. IEEE 802.11 and 1609 reside at the lowest levels – the foundation levels for the full set of functions – and Wi-Fi Alliance experience developing interoperability programs for 802.11-based and higher layer products can be used to advantage within the connected vehicle certification programs, speeding the time to commercialization for these technologies and to lay a solid groundwork for the upper levels. Engaging Wi-Fi Alliance eliminates the need to develop a redundant forum, infrastructure, and process foundation to certify these elements of connected vehicle technology.

We encourage all potential respondents to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s RFA to leverage Wi-Fi Alliance’s certification capabilities in their responses. Additional information about Wi-Fi Alliance can be found at http://www.wi-fi.org/who-we-are.

For further information, contact Wi-Fi Alliance staff via info@wi-fi.org or 512-498-WIFI.

NFC enables security-protected Wi-Fi to expand into new products and usages

Austin, Texas, April 9, 2014 – With Wi-Fi® connecting an ever-widening range of devices, including those for the smart home and Internet of Everything, Wi-Fi Alliance® has updated one of its most popular product certification programs to include Near Field Communication (NFC) “tap-to-connect.” Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ now offers consumers a simplified option to set up Wi-Fi connections, even on devices without a user interface. Users can now connect devices certified for this capability by simply tapping them together, activating a security-protected Wi-Fi connection.

Since 2007, Wi-Fi Protected Setup has been the industry-standard solution for users to easily connect and protect Wi-Fi devices. The new “tap-to-connect” capability enabled by NFC extends the reach of Wi-Fi Protected Setup to devices lacking the rich user interface found in computing devices. Now, a range of devices, from cameras and gaming devices, to smart home devices such as refrigerators, thermostats, and security systems will be able to be connected with a simple tap via NFC. Gartner predicts 26 billion Internet of Everything devices - many of them Wi-Fi enabled – are expected on the market by 2020, making simple and security-protected connection tools are of paramount importance.

“Wi-Fi Protected Setup gives consumers simplicity and peace of mind,” said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance. “We continue to evolve our Wi-Fi CERTIFIED programs to support market requirements today and in the future, all while taking security-protected Wi-Fi into the many areas where Wi-Fi is becoming popular.”

Wi-Fi Protected Setup now offers users three easy setup methods – Personal Identification Number (PIN), Push-Button Configuration, and NFC. With the NFC method, the user connects two or more NFC-enabled products by tapping them together. Wi-Fi Protected Setup then automatically configures the network name and activates WPA2™ security. The NFC connection method can be used to set up both traditional networks with an access point as well as Wi-Fi Direct® groups.

“The NFC Forum is pleased to see NFC technology being embraced by the Wi-Fi Protected Setup certification program as we work together to simplify connectivity for the user,” said NFC Forum Chairman Koichi Tagawa. “With NFC’s easy, intuitive interface, users can enjoy a more convenient experience.”

More than 10,000 devices have been certified for Wi-Fi Protected Setup since 2007. The first products to support the NFC option and which form the test suite for the certification program include:

• Broadcom: Dual-Band 802.11ac Access Point
• Broadcom: Google Nexus-10
• Marvell: Marvell Avastar 88W8787
• Mediatek: Mediatek NFConnected AP
• Mediatek: Mediatek NFConnected STA
• Qualcomm: Dual-Band XSPAN 2-stream 802.11n WLAN Adapter

More information on Wi-Fi Protected Setup can be found here: http://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-protected-setup

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association – our members are the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. The members of our collaboration forum come from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem and share a vision of seamless connectivity. Since 2000, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, industry-standard security protections, and the latest technology. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 18,000 products, delivering the best user experience and encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets. Today, billions of Wi-Fi products carry a significant portion of the world’s data traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications.

Follow Wi-Fi Alliance:
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Press Contact:
Chris Nishimura
Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
chris.nishimura@edelman.com
+1.650.281.3267

Austin, Texas, April 2, 2014 – We commend the United States Federal Communications Commission for recognizing the tremendous potential of Wi-Fi® in 5 GHz. The Commission has taken action at a crucial time when both data demand and the number of Wi-Fi connected devices are rapidly increasing, creating more flexible rules for traditional Wi-Fi to operate in 5 GHz outdoors at adequate power levels.

This week’s decision by the FCC is significant for the Wi-Fi industry and consumers: it enables end users, services providers and businesses to get more use from the 5 GHz unlicensed spectrum for a wider variety of environments, applications and services. The new regulations have an immediate impact and we applaud them. As a result of these new rules, operators and enterprises will soon be able to improve their Wi-Fi services in thousands of public hotspots and Wi-Fi networks across the United States. The ruling is particularly useful for the latest, gigabit-speed generation of Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ ac.

The FCC’s decision to update the 5 GHz regulations is testament to its commitment to sound spectrum policy. We look forward to continuing to support the Commission’s work.

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association – our members are the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. The members of our collaboration forum come from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem and share a vision of seamless connectivity. Since 2000, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, industry-standard security protections, and the latest technology. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 18,000 products, delivering the best user experience and encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets. Today, billions of Wi-Fi products carry a significant portion of the world’s data traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications.

Follow Wi-Fi Alliance:
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facebook.com/wificertified
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Press Contact:
Chris Nishimura
Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
chris.nishimura@edelman.com
+1.650.281.3267

Austin, Texas, March 29, 2014 – Wi-Fi Alliance takes security very seriously. All of our specifications and certifications include requirements to support the latest generation of security protections. In the case of Miracast™, the underlying specification requires device-generated passphrases to consist of characters randomly selected from upper case letters, lower case letters, and numbers.

The recent report of a non-compliant passphrase implementation appears to be limited to a single vendor's implementation. We enforce the requirements of our certification programs and have been in contact with the company in question to ensure that any device bearing the Miracast mark meets our requirements.

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association – our members are the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. The members of our collaboration forum come from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem and share a vision of seamless connectivity. Since 2000, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, industry-standard security protections, and the latest technology. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 18,000 products, delivering the best user experience and encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets. Today, billions of Wi-Fi products carry a significant portion of the world’s data traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications.

Follow Wi-Fi Alliance:
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Press Contact:                          
Chris Nishimura
Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
chris.nishimura@edelman.com
+1.650.281.3267

Organizations continue to collaborate on Carrier Wi-Fi solutions

Singapore and Austin, Texas, February 17 2014 – Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) and Wi-Fi Alliance® will co-host a demonstration of Wi-Fi® roaming at Mobile World Congress next week in association with the WBA Carrier Wi-Fi Summit hosted onsite. Visitors to the demonstration will be able to experience seamless network authentication where a number of the latest Passpoint devices will be made available for attendees to roam on to the demonstration network. Supported by 18 operators, the demonstration offers an exclusive look at a live WBA Next Generation Hotspot network using Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint™ equipment from seven vendors, and reflects significant momentum toward industry-standard easy-to-use Wi-Fi hotspots and roaming.

With data traffic pressure on wireless networks expected to increase more than 400 percent in the next four years, industry support for Wi-Fi roaming services leveraging NGH Guidelines and Passpoint is coalescing. Recent research conducted by Maravedis-Rethink on behalf of WBA indicates that more than half of operators surveyed have become “more confident” about investing in public Wi-Fi than in the previous year. More than 27 global operators have participated in three phases of WBA NGH trials, and to date, more than 400 devices have obtained Passpoint certification, including a wide range of smartphones and tablets.

“The availability of industry-standard Wi-Fi roaming as a successor to proprietary implementations sets the stage for deployment by a broad set of mobile operators,” said Caroline Gabriel, Research Director at Maravedis-Rethink. “Progress in Passpoint device implementation and broad consensus on roaming guidelines significantly eases deployment, enabling operators to realize the opportunities for advanced Wi-Fi roaming.”

In response to Wi-Fi deployment trends among operators, Wi-Fi Alliance and WBA have expanded their collaboration beyond coordination on hotspot technology requirements into a broader set of activities to advance Carrier Wi-Fi. Coordination amongst several influential industry groups will help define a shared vision for Carrier Wi-Fi and identify early opportunities to deliver on that vision. Wi-Fi technology innovations have the potential to further enhance the user experience, drive end-to-end integration, and improve network management.

“Confidence in Wi-Fi has increased significantly over the past 12 months as operators view it as a critical part of the hetnet. With Next Generation Hotspot deployments becoming more commonplace, this confidence will continue to grow well into the future,” said Shrikant Shenwai, CEO of Wireless Broadband Alliance. “We are pleased to extend our work with Wi-Fi Alliance to ensure that our industry is delivering on the promise of Carrier Wi-Fi.”

“Collaboration among stakeholders is more important than ever as operator Wi-Fi deployments accelerate,” said Wi-Fi Alliance president and CEO Edgar Figueroa. “Our work with WBA is an important element to continue our industry’s progress toward Carrier Wi-Fi.”

The Wi-Fi roaming demonstration takes place as part of the WBA Carrier Wi-Fi Summit. The event will include a conference, networking opportunities, and exhibition. Wi-Fi Alliance, a lead industry partner for the event, will participate with an executive keynote speaker and help lead a session addressing tactical considerations in deploying Passpoint and NGH. To see the full agenda, visit: http://www.wballiance.com/carrier-wi-fi-summit/conference-program

About the Wireless Broadband Alliance
Founded in 2003, the aim of the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is to secure an outstanding user experience through the global deployment of next generation Wi-Fi. In order to make this a reality, the WBA is currently championing various initiatives in the Wi-Fi ecosystem including Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) trials, Wi-Fi Roaming and its Interoperability Compliance Program (ICP). Today, membership includes major fixed operators such as BT, Comcast and Time Warner Cable; seven of the top 10 mobile operator groups (by revenue) and leading technology companies such as Cisco, Google and Intel. WBA member operators collectively serve more than 1 billion subscribers and operate more than 5 million hotspots globally. The WBA Board includes Arqiva, AT&T, Boingo Wireless, BT, China Mobile, Cisco Systems, Comcast, iPass, KT Corporation, NTT DOCOMO, Orange and Ruckus Wireless.

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Press Contact:
Stephanie Ross
Temono for Wireless Broadband Alliance
+44 207 089 8896
wba@temono.com

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association – our members are the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. The members of our collaboration forum come from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem and share a vision of seamless connectivity. Since 2000, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, industry-standard security protections, and the latest technology. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 18,000 products, delivering the best user experience and encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets. Today, billions of Wi-Fi products carry a significant portion of the world’s data traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications.

Follow Wi-Fi Alliance:
wi-fi.org/beacon
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twitter.com/wifialliance
linkedin.com/company/wi-fi-alliance
Weibo: @wifialliance官方微博

Press Contact:
James Whyte
Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
+4420 3047 2273
james.whyte@edelman.com

New study: Consumers are poised to embrace the Internet of Everything; Wi-Fi is seen as a key feature

Las Vegas, Nevada, January 7, 2014 – Consumers’ expectations for a connected life are expanding beyond the world of PCs and mobile gadgets to include a wide range of smart home and smart automotive devices. New research conducted on behalf of Wi-Fi Alliance® demonstrates that consumers are ready to embrace a range of connected applications such as home security, smart energy, and in-vehicle infotainment. However, ease of use and integration with existing home networks top the list of concerns as consumers gradually step into the “Internet of Everything” era.

Smart devices - electronics that connect to other devices or networks, operating interactively and somewhat autonomously – are seeing a surge in consumer interest. Among the survey respondents, 75 percent believe all homes will eventually be equipped with smart technology. Ninety-three percent of the respondents agreed that controlling the home remotely will have a positive impact on the quality of their daily lives. Home security systems, lighting, thermostats, cars, irrigation systems, personal health devices and appliances topped the list of areas for which 25 percent or more of respondents stated that Wi-Fi® connectivity would be a useful feature.

This growing interest comes with a few caveats. Eighty-four percent of consumers cite concerns about integrating smart technologies into their homes - ease of use and compatibility chief among them. A key finding of the study is that consumers want to integrate all their smart devices and appliances in a single home network. Ninety-one percent of consumers are more likely to purchase smart products if they are able to synchronize everything with their existing Wi-Fi network. More than half of respondents already have Wi-Fi enabled household items such as appliances, thermostats or lighting systems.

“There is no question that Wi-Fi will be a major connection for smart home and automotive applications,” said Phil Solis, Research Director, ABI Research. “Wi-Fi has a massive installed base of more than four billion products and is expected to surpass ten billion in 2018, and a legacy of interoperability which will ensure it will play a strong role in the Internet of Everything.”

Wi-Fi’s massive installed base enables consumers to leverage smartphones and tablets to gradually integrate, interact with, and control smart devices at home and when away. Wi-Fi can elegantly handle intermittent transmission of very small amounts of data to high-definition multimedia, enabling a range of connectivity for home automation, wearable technologies, personal health devices and telematics.

“The Wi-Fi industry has sold more than one device for every person on Earth and we are building on this massive adoption to deliver on the vision of the smart home,” said Edgar Figueroa, president and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance. “Wi-Fi has already given consumers connectivity they never imagined, and our innovations in ease of use, discovery, and power are putting Wi-Fi at the very core of the Internet of Everything.”

Seventy-seven percent of survey respondents stated that Wi-Fi connectivity will be an important purchase consideration when they next replace major household items including televisions, home security systems, thermostats, lighting and cars. Sixty-three percent of respondents stated that within ten years the majority of devices or appliances they purchase will include smart technology. Seventy-three percent of respondents predict they will buy Wi-Fi enabled devices in 2014.

For more information on the role Wi-Fi plays in the evolution of the Internet of Everything, download the Wi-Fi Alliance white paper here: www.wi-fi.org/connectyourlife.

Methodological note: The Wi-Fi Alliance CES 2014 Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (www.wakefieldresearch.com) among 1,000 U.S. smartphone and tablet users, ages 18 and older, between November 25th and December 4th, 2013, using an email invitation and an online survey.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of leading companies devoted to seamless connectivity. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, Wi-Fi Alliance has enabled widespread adoption of Wi-Fi® worldwide. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ program was launched in March 2000. It provides a widely-recognized designation of interoperability and quality, and it helps to ensure that Wi-Fi-enabled products deliver the best user experience. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 15,000 products, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets.

Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access® (WPA), WiGig®, Wi-Fi Direct®, Miracast®, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo, the Wi-Fi logo, the Wi-Fi ZONE logo and the Wi-Fi Protected Setup logo are registered trademarks of Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, Wi-Fi Protected Setup™, Wi-Fi Multimedia™, WPA2™, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint™, Passpoint™, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast™, Wi-Fi ZONE™, WiGig CERTIFIED™, the Wi-Fi Alliance logo, and the WiGig CERTIFIED logo are trademarks of Wi-Fi Alliance.

Follow us on Twitter: @wifialliance  Look for hashtag #connectyourlife
Engage with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wificertified
Watch us on YouTube: www.youtube.com/wifialliance
 

Contact:                                
Chris Nishimura
Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
chris.nishimura@edelman.com
650.281.3267

New study illustrates subscriber demand and expanding business opportunity

Consumer polling brief

Austin, Texas, September 24, 2013 – With smartphone and tablet usage continuing to explode, operator-deployed Wi-Fi® networks are playing an increasing role in keeping users connected on the go. A new study conducted in Europe on behalf of Wi-Fi Alliance® indicates that advanced features such as seamless authentication, on-site enrollment of additional devices, and Wi-Fi roaming present operators with compelling opportunities to drive business value.

The survey, conducted among more than 2000 users of both smartphones and tablets in France, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, illustrates the hunger among users for a more seamless experience in public Wi-Fi networks. Respondents were given a description of the seamless user experience enabled by Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint equipment. Among the findings:

• Eighty-four percent of respondents are interested in having seamless discovery and authentication in hotspots
• Seventy-four percent are willing to switch service providers in order to gain access to these advanced features
• Ninety-one percent are likely to stay with their current service provider if they offered a service which incorporated these features

“Passpoint equipment is already delivering value to operators, and this value increases as Wi-Fi becomes central to fixed and mobile service provider business strategies, ,” said Wi-Fi Alliance president and CEO Edgar Figueroa. “Wi-Fi Alliance is expanding Passpoint to deliver even more advanced features to meet operators’ critical business objectives well into the future.”

The carrier Wi-Fi opportunity extends well beyond smartphones. Tablet usage in homes and on public Wi-Fi networks is on the rise and approaching rates similar to those of smartphone usage.  According to the study, more than one-third of users connect tablets to public Wi-Fi networks today and fifty-seven percent reported that they expect to connect their tablets via hotspot networks three years from now. The next release of Passpoint, planned for 2014, adds functionality to enable non-SIM device enrollment on-the-spot, extending user subscriptions to additional devices such as tablets, and enabling the enrollment of new subscribers.

Seamless Wi-Fi roaming is currently in trials among numerous service providers worldwide, and it presents another opportunity for service providers. Ninety-two percent of the survey respondents connect either a tablet or smartphone while traveling, leveraging a combination of cellular and Wi-Fi networks both within and outside their home service provider’s control. Fifty-eight percent of respondents stated they would be willing to pay more for a Wi-Fi roaming offering from their provider, and eighty percent agreed with the statement “I wish my service provider could be with me when I travel.”

“With innovations coming from the industry, the opportunity for advanced Wi-Fi to drive business value for service providers is clear,” said Mike Roberts, Principal Analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media. “Passpoint-certified equipment and inter-provider Wi-Fi roaming enable fixed and mobile providers to add new Wi-Fi-only subscribers, expand share of wallet among existing subscribers, and deliver a roaming experience that exceeds subscriber expectations.”

Wi-Fi Alliance has certified an extensive array of Passpoint network equipment and about 75 Passpoint client devices, including a diverse range of smartphones and tablets from a variety of vendors. Recent deployments of Passpoint-enabled networks demonstrate the growing support for delivery of a seamless user experience and commercialization of a unified roaming approach.

Technology enablers and business cases for carrier Wi-Fi are detailed in a new white paper, Carrier Wi-Fi®: A futureproof approach to expanded public Wi-Fi. The paper is available for download here.

About Wi-Fi Alliance®
www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of leading companies devoted to seamless connectivity. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, Wi-Fi Alliance has enabled widespread adoption of Wi-Fi® worldwide. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ program was launched in March 2000. It provides a widely-recognized designation of interoperability and quality, and it helps to ensure that Wi-Fi-enabled products deliver the best user experience. Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 15,000 products, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets.

Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access® (WPA), WiGig®, Wi-Fi Direct®, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo, the Wi-Fi logo, the Wi-Fi ZONE logo and the Wi-Fi Protected Setup logo are registered trademarks of Wi-Fi Alliance. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, Wi-Fi Protected Setup™, Wi-Fi Multimedia™, WPA2™, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Passpoint™, Passpoint™, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast™, Miracast™, Wi-Fi ZONE™, WiGig CERTIFIED™, the Wi-Fi Alliance logo, and the WiGig CERTIFIED logo are trademarks of Wi-Fi Alliance.

Follow us on Twitter: @wifialliance
Wi-Fi Alliance YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/wifialliance
 

Contact:                                
Karl Stetson
Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
Karl.stetson@zenogroup.com
206-297-5943

Methodological note:

The Wi-Fi Alliance survey was conducted by Edelman Berland between August 20-30, 2013 among more than 2,000 consumers over 18 years of age in France, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom who have multiple mobile devices.