用於智慧能源設備的新一代Wi-Fi技術在推薦通訊標準列表中名列前茅

2010年11月，德州奧斯汀市訊－在美國家電製造商協會（AHAM）最近發佈的一份報告中，以802.11n標準為基礎的Wi-Fi技術獲得了最高評級。AHAM是一家行業協會，其成員生產的產品佔據95%的美國家電市佔率。已被部署於全球約2.01億戶家庭中的Wi-Fi技術1 現在又獲得了各大家電製造商的青睞，成為領先的智慧家電通訊技術。

1 Kurt Scherf, Parks Associates, “Networks in the Home: Global Growth; A Report for the Wi-Fi Alliance”.

高效家電具有節能優勢，當與Wi-Fi等技術相結合後，這類家電就將成為高效智慧電網的組成部分。網路連接使消費者可以對能源使用進行管理，使家用電器得以與家庭內的或能源服務提供者的能源管理系統進行通訊。AHAM從安全、向前/向後相容性、可互通性、市場接受程度、可用性與易用性、產品保固與替換等多個方面對多種通訊技術進行了評估。

AHAM的評估旨在加快智慧家電通訊的標準設立進程。智慧家電採用通用標準將有助於確保產品在所有具備智慧電網基礎設施的地點發揮作用，使消費者無需因為搬遷而更換或變更家電。

Wi-Fi Alliance 技術總監葛列格·艾尼斯（Greg Ennis）介紹說：「Wi-Fi是用於智慧電網的理想通訊技術。Wi-Fi已被部署於全球數百萬個家庭中。現在，Wi-Fi能夠在智慧設備之間建立連接，朝向實現Wi-Fi數位家庭的願景又邁出了重要一步。」

在AHAM評估報告中，ZigBee Alliance的Smart Energy Profile 2.0（SEP 2.0）應用協議同樣獲得最高評級，該協議亦運行於Wi-Fi網路。SEP 2.0應用對智慧家電和向最終用戶輸出資料的能源管理設備之間傳輸的資料進行管理。

Wi-Fi Alliance已與另外兩家提供智慧電網規範的協會――ZigBe-e Alliance和家用電力線網路聯盟（HomePlug® Powerline Alliance）達成合作協議。三家組織之間的合作將使Wi-Fi、HomePlug綠色實體層（Green PHY）和使用SEP 2.0應用協議的ZigBee網路設備具備可互通性。

關於Wi-Fi Alliance Wi-Fi Alliance是一家全球非盈利行業協會，由數百家致力於在設備和市場領域推廣Wi-FI技術的領先企業組成。利用技術開發、市場構建和監管項目，Wi-Fi Alliance在全球範圍內成功推廣了Wi-Fi技術。

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™項目於2000年面世，提供受到廣泛認可的針對產品品質與可互通性的認證，有助於確保Wi-Fi產品提供最佳使用者體驗。截止到目前為止，Wi-Fi Alliance已完成了8,000多項產品認證，推動了Wi-Fi產品和服務在新興和成熟市場的普及。

Wi-Fi®、Wi-Fi Alliance®、WMM®、Wi-Fi Protected Access®（WPA）、Wi-Fi CERTIFIED標誌、Wi-Fi標誌、Wi-Fi ZONE標誌以及Wi-Fi Protected Setup標誌均為Wi-Fi Alliance注冊商標；Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™、Wi-Fi Direct™、Wi-Fi Protected Setup™、Wi-Fi Multimedia™和Wi-Fi Alliance標誌均為Wi-Fi Alliance商標。

連絡人：

Karl Stetson

A&R Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance

karl.stetson@edelman.com

206-268-2215

Austin, TX and Portland, Ore. -November 2, 2010 - The Wi-Fi Alliance and the HomePlug® Powerline Alliance have entered into a liaison agreement to facilitate and promote the adoption of HomePlug powerline and Wi-Fi networking technologies in smart grid applications.  The agreement enables cooperative efforts for joint technical review of Wi-Fi Alliance and HomePlug specifications and standards that facilitate interoperability of smart grid applications.  The organizations will also engage on joint outreach to promote the adoption of wireless and powerline technologies for smart grid applications.

Both the Wi-Fi Alliance and HomePlug are participating members in the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP).  SGIP is a forum for industry stakeholders and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to participate in the ongoing coordination, acceleration and harmonization of standards development for the smart grid.  The Smart Energy 2 Applications Profile (SEP 2.0) was selected last year by the U.S. Department of Energy and NIST as an initial interoperable standard for smart energy management with home area network (HAN) devices.  The Wi-Fi Alliance and the HomePlug Powerline Alliance are collaborating to enable SEP 2.0 applications to operate across a diverse mix of wireless and wired networks.

"Both Wi-Fi and HomePlug solutions will play key roles in energy management and connecting home systems and appliances to the smart grid," said Rob Ranck, president of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance.  "HomePlug and Wi-Fi devices represent a large share of installed nodes worldwide, and ensuring seamless interoperability is critical for broad scale smart grid deployment," continued Ranck.

"Working with the HomePlug Powerline Alliance will facilitate interoperability between Wi-Fi equipment and devices connected to powerline home networks," said Edgar Figueroa, chief executive officer of the Wi-Fi Alliance.  "This collaboration will help bring about a great user experience with smart home technology," continued Figueroa. 

The Wi-Fi Alliance launched the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ program 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.  The Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 8,000 product certifications to date, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets. 

The HomePlug family of powerline networking specifications includes HomePlug AV for broadband applications, the recently completed the HomePlug "Green PHY" (GP) specification for smart energy /smart grid applications, and the forthcoming HomePlug AV2 broadband specification due for completion in Q1 2011. These HomePlug specifications are fully interoperable with each other and the new IEEE 1901 powerline standard, and cover the spectrum of home networking demands.  HomePlug has an installed base of over 60 million devices.

The liaison between the HomePlug Powerline Alliance and the Wi-Fi Alliance is effective immediately.

About the Wi-Fi Alliance
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of leading companies devoted to the proliferation of Wi-Fi technology across devices and market segments. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, the Wi-Fi Alliance has enabled widespread adoption of Wi-Fi worldwide.  Learn more and search for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ products at http://www.wi-fi.org/.  

Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, WMM®, Wi-Fi Protected Access® (WPA), 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 the Wi-Fi Alliance; Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, Wi-Fi Direct™, Wi-Fi Protected Setup™, Wi-Fi Multimedia™, and the Wi-Fi Alliance logo are trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

About HomePlug® Powerline Alliance

Founded in 2000, the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, Inc. is an industry-led initiative with 70 member companies that creates specifications and certification logo programs for using the powerlines for reliable home networking and Smart Grid applications. The Alliance accelerates worldwide adoption for HomePlug technology by collaborating with international standards organizations such as the IEEE and through market development and user education programs. Sponsor members include Atheros Communications (ATHR); Cisco (CSCO); Comcast (CMCSK); Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK); GE Energy, an affiliate of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE); Gigle Networks; Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723); SPiDCOM Technologies, and STMicroelectronics  (STM). Contributor members include Arkados (OTCBB: AKDS).  For more information on the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, please visit http://www.homeplug.org/.

HomePlug and Wi-Fi are registered trademarks of their respective organizations.

Media contacts:

Karl Stetson
A&R Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
206-268-2215
Karl.stetson@edelman.com

Megan Shockney
The Ardell Group for HomePlug
858-442-3492
megan@ardellgroup.com  

Additional Resources:

• Media Deck
• Consumer White Paper
• Industry White Paper
• Frequently Asked Questions

AUSTIN, TX, October 25, 2010 - Wi-Fi has made an important leap in connecting devices anywhere, anytime - with or without a traditional network available.  The Wi-Fi Alliance® today announced that it has begun certifying products capable of making device-to-device connections, designating those products Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct.

With portable content like photos, videos and music taking center stage in the digital consumer experience, Wi-Fi Direct devices meet an important consumer need: directly connecting devices for applications such as content sharing, synching, printing, and gaming anywhere with ease.  Current trends demonstrating how people use digital devices highlight the need for this compelling solution:

• Content is portable. In 2010, young Americans carry an average of about 1,100 songs, 50 videos, and 1,200 photos with them on digital devices.1
• Wi-Fi connects it all. With 82 million Wi-Fi-enabled portable consumer electronics and 216 million Wi-Fi enabled handsets set to ship this year, and growing at annual rates of 26 percent through 2014, consumers will be able to use Wi-Fi Direct to connect a huge range of digital devices.2
• Apps are at the forefront. New applications for portable devices emerge every day, offering compelling new ways to use connected devices.  Adoption of apps on portable devices is growing at a 50 percent annual rate. 3
• Technology is social.  In the United States, 64 percent of young people report that Wi-Fi connectivity helps them maintain relationships with their friends. Moreover, young Americans also report they often gather around devices for entertainment, with about 90 percent of people reporting they have gathered around a portable device to look at pictures, videos, or video games.4

"We designed Wi-Fi Direct to unleash a wide variety of applications which require device connections, but do not need the internet or even a traditional network," said Edgar Figueroa, CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance.  "Wi-Fi Direct empowers users to connect devices - when, where and how they want to, and our certification program delivers products that work well together, regardless of the brand."

Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices can connect with older Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices, enabling a vast range of devices already in use to connect with products implementing Wi-Fi Direct from the certification program's inception.  Wi-Fi Direct devices include a push-button set up mechanism, employ the latest WPA2TM security protections, and bring typical Wi-Fi throughput and range.  Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices can support Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n technology as well as older forms of Wi-Fi.

"Wi-Fi Direct is a game-changing advance for Wi-Fi technology," said Victoria Fodale, Senior Analyst at ABI Research.  "As people continue to increase the number of devices and the amount of content they carry, Wi-Fi Direct extends an already-compelling technology into an even more useful, convenient solution for all the things people want to do with their devices."

The first products to be designated Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct, and which form the test suite for the certification program are:

• Atheros XSPAN® Dual-band 802.11n PCIe Mini Card (AR928x)
• Broadcom BCM43224 Dual-Band 802.11n 2x2 MIMO PCIe Half Mini Card
• Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200
• Ralink MIMObility 802.11n 2x2 PCIe Half Mini Card
• Realtek RTL8192CE-VA4 HM92C00 PCIe mini card 

In addition, the Cisco 2106 Wireless LAN Controller and Cisco Aironet 1240 Series Access Points are used in the certification test suite.

More information, including information for consumers and retailers, a list of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct products, the technical specification, white papers, and more, is available at www.wi-fi.org/Wi-Fi_Direct.php.  

1 Wi-Fi Alliance and Wakefield Research, September 2010

2 ABI Research, August 2010

3 The Nielsen Company, September 2010

4 Wi-Fi Alliance and Wakefield Research, September 2010

Austin, TX - September 30, 2010 - The Wi-Fi Alliance today announced new data summarizing trends from the first year of activity since its Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n testing program was launched. 

The following data points summarize trends among the more than 1,100 products that have achieved the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n designation since September 30, 2009 - when the certification tests and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo were updated to align with finalization of the IEEE 802.11n standard.

Handsets shifting to next-generation Wi-Fi

• 127 phones are now Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n, accounting for 20% of handsets certified in the last 12 months

Essential technology for the digital home

• 251 consumer electronics products achieved Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n designation in the last 12 months
• Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n consumer electronics include media servers, digital audio systems, gaming devices, and display devices

Increased performance capabilities and more dual-band products than ever before

• Dual-band products, operating in both 2.4 and 5GHz, are on the rise as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n technology continues to proliferate
• 441 products certified in the past 12 months are dual-band capable
• 143 products can support both 5GHz and 2.4 GHz operation concurrently

Enterprise-grade products: Ethernet replacement becomes a reality

• Enterprise networking vendors are responding to IT managers' demand 802.11n technology for its performance capacity, robustness, and range
• 157 enterprise-grade infrastructure devices achieved the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n designation since the program's launch
• 115 enterprise-grade access points support operation in either 2.4GHz or 5GHz

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n is today's Wi-Fi technology

• Market adoption of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n technology parallels the product transitions illustrated above.  ABI Research predicts that about 59 percent of Wi-Fi products sold in 2010 will include 802.11n technology; by 2013, Wi-Fi shipments are expected to be nearly 95 percent 802.11n.

"The number and variety of devices that have become Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n in past 12 months have been tremendously exciting," said Kelly Davis-Felner, marketing director, Wi-Fi Alliance. "From televisions to mobile phones and points in between, Wi-Fi now connects a majority of consumer electronics, delivering the entertainment experiences that consumers crave."

"It's clear that Wi-Fi's integration into virtually all areas of the consumer electronics spectrum continues to expand," said Phil Solis, research director, ABI Research. "At the heart of this growth is Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n, which will continue to deliver the advanced performance these devices require, now and well into the future."

For a list of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products, numerous white papers, and other information, visit: http://www.wi-fi.org/

San Ramon, Calif. and Austin, TX - March 17, 2010 - The ZigBee® Alliance and the Wi-Fi Alliance® announced today an agreement to collaborate on wireless home area networks (HAN) for Smart Grid applications.  The initial focus of the collaboration will be ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0, which is the next-generation energy management protocol for Smart Grid-enabled homes based on today's successful ZigBee Smart Energy Profile.  The ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0 is expected to operate over Wi-Fi technology as a result of the collaboration.

The two organizations will identify opportunities to use ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0, capitalizing on the unique strengths and capabilities of their respective technologies. This will expand the utility of the HAN in the management of energy consuming or producing devices, a crucial part of Smart Grid efforts now underway. ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0 was selected last year by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as an initial interoperable standard for HAN devices.

Joining Wi-Fi's communication technology with ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0 means that utilities, vendors and energy consumers will have more choice and versatility in energy management solutions. The agreement between the two organizations will help deliver  close integration of the two communication technologies in a smart home environment. This environment will include devices ranging from utility meters, thermostats, and appliances to home entertainment devices, computing systems, and automobiles.

"ZigBee has always interworked with Wi-Fi using ZigBee and Wi-Fi gateways. Now there is an opportunity for the organizations to collaborate more closely for the smart home of the future, leveraging the intelligence of ZigBee Smart Energy," said Bob Heile, ZigBee Alliance chairman.  "Wi-Fi is a major global success and an important wireless networking technology for the home environment. Our collaboration will help spur further innovation in solutions for the Smart Grid."

"Working with the ZigBee Alliance members will enable more than the extension of the ZigBee Smart Energy profile to Wi-Fi," said Wi-Fi Alliance chief executive officer Edgar Figueroa.  "The collaboration will help bring about the vision of a truly interconnected smart home.  As a result of this agreement, representatives from each organization will be able to provide input on one another's Smart Grid activities to speed any proposed solutions."

ZigBee Smart Energy was initially developed to operate over a standard ZigBee wireless network to support the needs of Smart Metering and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0 has been designed to support other network technologies within the digital home, including HomePlug and now Wi-Fi. The low-power ZigBee standard is optimized to the needs of Wireless Sensor Networks by offering robust self organizing, self-healing mesh networking, scalability to very large networks, very low cost and complexity, and superlative battery life.

Wi-Fi technology is today found in hundreds of millions of households and businesses worldwide, and consumers have demonstrated strong affinity for the technology in computing devices, home entertainment systems, and handsets. ABI Research reports that 580 million Wi-Fi devices were shipped in 2009 alone.

ZigBee Smart Energy - The Standard for Home Area Networks
ZigBee Smart Energy enables wireless communication between utility companies and common household devices such as smart thermostats and appliances. It improves energy efficiency by allowing consumers to choose interoperable products from different manufacturers giving them the means to manage their energy consumption more precisely using automation and near real-time information.  It also helps utilities and energy providers implement new advanced metering and demand response programs to drive greater energy management and efficiency, while responding to changing government requirements. For more information and a list of ZigBee Certified products, visit: www.ZigBee.org/SmartEnergy. 

About ZigBee: Control your world
ZigBee is the global wireless language connecting dramatically different devices to work together and enhance everyday life. The ZigBee Alliance is a non-profit association of more than 340 members driving development of ZigBee wireless technology. The Alliance promotes world-wide adoption of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in consumer electronic, energy, home, commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit: www.ZigBee.org.  

About the Wi-Fi Alliance
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of leading companies devoted to the proliferation of Wi-Fi technology across devices and market segments. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, the Wi-Fi Alliance has enabled widespread adoption of Wi-Fi worldwide. 

The Wi-Fi CERTIFIEDTM 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.  The Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 7,000 product certifications to date, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services in new and established markets.  Learn more and search for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products at www.wi-fi.org.  

Contact:
Kevin Schader
ZigBee Alliance
kschader@inventures.com
+1 925-275-6672

Karl Stetson
A&R Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
Karl.stetson@edelman.com
+1 206-268-2215

Earlene Tang
GolinHarris for ZigBee Alliance
etang@golinharris.com
+1 714-918-8215

Additional Resources:

• White Paper
   

Austin, Texas - November 11, 2009 - To address growing momentum in the Wi-Fi industry and help ensure Wi-Fi technology and certification programs continue to support evolving Smart Grid requirements, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced the release of a report titled "Wi-Fi® for the Smart Grid: Mature, Interoperable, Security-Protected Technology for Advanced Utility Management Communications", as well as its recent formalization of a Smart Grid task group.

The "Wi-Fi for the Smart Grid" report details the use of Wi-Fi for Smart Grid applications in home, neighborhood, and wide area networks. Ten years after its initial introduction to the market, Wi-Fi has proven to be a versatile technology, performing well as a low-power solution for short range data transmission, as a high-performance network for the digital home, and as a scalable solution to cover large outdoor areas such as campuses and neighborhoods.

"This is an exciting opportunity to build on Wi-Fi's strong base in home and enterprise networking to fully realize the benefits of the Smart Grid," said Wi-Fi Alliance executive director Edgar Figueroa. "Our industry has a mature production and certification ecosystem to keep Wi-Fi technology affordable and interoperable.  Our members are creating products now to address the entire spectrum of connectivity, from in-home to across town."

In addition to producing the new report, Wi-Fi Alliance has formalized a task group to provide technical expertise to utilities, government officials, and other interested parties on the various properties of Wi-Fi which make it suitable for Smart Grid, and to assess how the long-standing Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ testing program may be extended to support Smart Grid devices and applications.

The Wi-Fi Alliance is also a participating member of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP). SGIP is a forum for stakeholders to participate in the ongoing coordination, acceleration and harmonization of standards development for the Smart Grid.  The SGIP reviews use cases, identifies requirements, coordinates and accelerates Smart Grid testing and certification, and proposes action plans for achieving these goals.

 "There is no question that Wi-Fi is going to play a large role in smart energy management solutions," said Craig J. Mathias, a Principal with the mobile and wireless advisory firm Farpoint Group. "The technology is well-established in millions of home networks around the world, and the industry continues to innovate on both low-power and large-network solutions that will dramatically expand its importance in a wide variety of Smart Grid applications."

With more than 6,000 product certifications completed since its inception, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED testing is a widely-recognized market enabler for wireless technology. Certification evaluation is performed at a worldwide network of 13 independent Wi-Fi Alliance Authorized Test Labs in China, Germany, India, Korea, Japan, Spain, Taiwan and the United States. 

Wi-Fi Alliance will be exhibiting at the Grid Interop event in Denver November 17 - 19 in booth 314.  The "Wi-Fi for the Smart Grid: Mature, Interoperable, Security-Protected Technology for Advanced Utility Management Communications" report is available at http://www.wi-fi.org/. A comprehensive and searchable list of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products can be found at: www.wi-fi.org/search_products.php.

Additional Resources:  

• Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

Austin, Texas, October 14, 2009 - Wi-Fi devices will soon be able to connect in a new way that makes it more simple and convenient than ever to do things like print, share and display. The Wi-Fi Alliance is nearing completion of a new specification to enable Wi-Fi devices to connect to one another without joining a traditional home, office, or hotspot network. The Wi-Fi Alliance expects to begin certification for this new specification in mid-2010, and products which achieve the certification will be designated Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct.

The specification, previously code-named "Wi-Fi peer-to-peer," can be implemented in any Wi-Fi device, from mobile phones, cameras, printers, and notebook computers, to human interface devices such as keyboards and headphones. Significantly, devices that have been certified to the new specification will also be able to create connections with hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED legacy devices already in use. Devices will be able to make a one-to-one connection, or a group of several devices can connect simultaneously.

"The specification underlying the Wi-Fi Direct certification program represents a leap forward for our industry. Wi-Fi users worldwide will benefit from a single-technology solution to transfer content and share applications quickly and easily among devices, even when a Wi-Fi access point isn't available," said Wi-Fi Alliance executive director Edgar Figueroa. "The impact is that Wi-Fi will become even more pervasive and useful for consumers and across the enterprise."

The specification targets both consumer electronics and enterprise applications, provides management features for enterprise environments, and includes WPA2™ security. Devices that support the specification will be able to discover one another and advertise available services.  Devices certified under the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct program will support typical Wi-Fi ranges and the same data rates as can be achieved with an infrastructure connection, so devices can connect from across a home or office and conduct bandwidth-hungry tasks with ease.   

 "With Wi-Fi technology already shipping in millions of consumer electronics devices and handsets every year, this is a terrific innovation for the industry," said Victoria Fodale, senior analyst and market intelligence manager at In-Stat. "Empowering devices to move content and share applications without having to join a network brings even more convenience and utility to Wi-Fi-enabled devices."

The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to publish its peer-to-peer specification upon completion, and will begin certifying devices for the Wi-Fi Direct designation in 2010.  Only Wi-Fi Alliance member companies will be able to certify devices under the Wi-Fi Direct program.

Additional Resources: 

• Media Deck (PDF)
• Consumer White Paper
• Industry White Paper

AUSTIN, TEXAS - September 30, 2009 - The Wi-Fi Alliance has begun product testing for its  Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n program, updating its two-year-old Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 program.  The updated program adds testing for some popular optional features now more widely available in Wi-Fi equipment. The Wi-Fi Alliance has also introduced an updated logo, family of taglines, and product labeling matrix, to help consumers make informed choices about Wi-Fi products.  The launch comes shortly after the finalization of the IEEE 802.11n standard, and at a time when a broader array of 11n products with varying performance profiles is entering the market.

"Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n builds on the success of our draft-n certification program and marks a point of maturity in 802.11n technology," said Wi-Fi Alliance executive director Edgar Figueroa. "Our expanded testing and branding program helps ensure the best user experience in the context of the Wi-Fi industry's continued innovation and the evolving landscape of products implementing next-generation Wi-Fi."

The updated Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n program maintains the requirements of the draft 2.0 program and adds testing for some new optional features, including:

• Test support for simultaneous transmission of up to three spatial streams 
• Packet aggregation (A-MPDU), to make data transfers more efficient
• Space-time Block Coding (STBC), a multiple-antenna encoding technique to improve reliability in some environments
• Channel coexistence measures for "good neighbor" behavior when using 40 MHz operation in the 2.4 GHz band

The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n logo program has been updated to support a wide range of devices tuned for varying performance criteria.  In addition to removing the term "draft" from the logo, devices with particular feature sets may now use taglines in conjunction with the logo.  Devices can now be designated "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED dual-stream n" or "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED multi-stream n" to indicate that they have passed tests for specific performance-enhancing features (Fig. 1).  In addition, a matrix of product features may be used by some vendors to outline frequency band and spatial stream support of a particular product (Fig. 2).

"Given the wide array of 802.11n devices now emerging, and their varying capabilities, the launch of an updated Wi-Fi certification program is an important next step for the industry," said Victoria Fodale, senior analyst and market intelligence manager at In-Stat. "Wi-Fi Alliance's leadership, through testing and the updated branding and labeling, will continue to help users have the best experience with advanced Wi-Fi technology."

The following companies supply the products used in the interoperability test bed, and their devices are the first to become Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n in the new testing program:

• Atheros XSPAN® Dual-band 2.4/5GHz PCIe MiniCard for Computing Designs, Full MIMO Configuration
• Atheros XSPAN® Dual-band, Dual-concurrent 2.4/5GHz, Gigabit Reference Platform for AP/Routers, Full MIMO configuration
• Broadcom Intensifi Dual-Band 802.11n Client Reference Design
• Broadcom Intensifi XLR Dual-Band 802.11n Router Reference Design
• Intel® Ultimate N WiFi Link 5300
• Marvell Smart™ Wi-Fi 802.11n 3x3 450 Mbps Dual-Band Access Point

• Ralink MIMObility™ RT3800 Dual-band 3x3 450 Mbps Access Point with Beamforming

The Wi-Fi Alliance web site provides in-depth information about Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n.  New white papers for industry and consumer readers, consumer video tutorials and retailer information about Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n, along with tools to find certified products, are available at http://www.11nbasics.org/.

Client capabilities requirements	Access point capability requirements	Logo / tagline (sample)
Two stream (Rx) Tx-AMPDU 40 MHz in 5 GHz, if 5GHz supported	Two stream (Tx and Rx) Tx-AMPDU 40 MHz in 5 GHz, if 5GHz supported STBC
Three+ stream (Rx) Tx-AMPDU 40 MHz in 5 GHz, if 5GHz supported	Three+ stream (Rx) Tx-AMPDU 40 MHz in 5 GHz, if 5GHz supported STBC

Figure 1: Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n logos, taglines and required feature support, by device type.

Figure 2: Sample of a Wi-Fi CERTIFIED n product matrix.

About the Wi-Fi Alliance

The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global non-profit industry association of hundreds of leading companies devoted to the proliferation of Wi-Fi technology across devices and market segments. With technology development, market building, and regulatory programs, the 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. The Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 6,000 product certifications to date, 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), 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™,Wi-Fi Protected Setup™, Wi-Fi Multimedia™, and the Wi-Fi Alliance logo are trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

AUSTIN, TEXAS - July 23, 2009 - The Wi-Fi Alliance has announced that it will not change the baseline requirements of its 802.11n certification program, and plans to make only small optional additions to coincide with the finalization of the 802.11n standard later this year. The updated test program will preserve interoperability with more than 600 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products released since June 2007, while adding testing for some optional features now included in the standard.  This validation of the existing certification program comes as the IEEE 802.11n standard is set for final approval within IEEE this September. Product testing to the updated certification is expected to begin in late September.

"Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products have seen wide acceptance across consumer and enterprise markets. It's clear our decision to deliver a draft program has served the interests of the market and Wi-Fi end users the world over," said Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance.  "The finalization of the 802.11n standard presents an opportunity for us to reaffirm our certification program and to implement additional testing of optional features while preserving interoperability."

"Interoperability across draft and final 802.11n-based products is what really matters as this certification program evolves to mirror developments in the market," said Phil Solis, practice director at ABI Research.  "The Wi-Fi Alliance led the industry in 2007 by introducing its 802.11n draft 2.0 program, and is striking the right balance now by adding a few features without sacrificing compatibility with previously-certified products."

The 11n certification program will add support for interoperability testing of some optional features in the approved 802.11n standard. Because all Wi-Fi CERTIFIED draft 2.0 products meet the core requirements of - and interoperate with - the updated program, they will be eligible to use the approved 802.11n logo without retesting.

ABI Research forecasts 11n shipments to reach 45 percent this year and grow to nearly 60 percent in 2012. The more than 600 products certified for draft 802.11n include computers, consumer electronics such as televisions and media servers, and consumer networking devices.  Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 has also extended deeply into the enterprise segment, with more than 100 enterprise-grade access point/switch devices certified since 2007.

White papers and retailer information about 802.11n, as well as a list of all Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products, are available at http://www.wi-fi.org/.

Austin, Texas, June 30, 2008 – Driven by the growing popularity of Wi-Fi® technology and voice over IP (VoIP), the Wi-Fi industry has developed a new certification program for voice-capable Wi-Fi devices in home and small office environments. Today, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Voice-Personal program as well as some of the first products that have achieved this certification. This groundbreaking new certification program extends beyond interoperability testing to test the performance of products and help ensure that they deliver good voice quality over the Wi-Fi link.

“Wi Fi enabled devices are increasingly used for data and also multimedia applications,” said Edgar Figueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. “Our certification programs deliver interoperability and quality of service between Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices. Now, the Voice-Personal program goes to the next level, helping to ensure good voice quality for calls made over a Wi-Fi network.”

Estimates from analyst firms forecast shipments of Wi-Fi/cellular converged phones to number between 250 and 350 million units in 2011. In a converged Wi-Fi/cellular phone, Wi-Fi connectivity can offer significant throughput to support bandwidth-intensive applications. By allowing subscribers to utilize Wi-Fi for voice as well as data on converged phones, carriers can manage licensed spectrum resources better, as subscribers make and receive calls using a combination of licensed and unlicensed Wi-Fi spectrum. Additionally, voice over the Wi-Fi network can mean improved indoor coverage

“We are seeing increasing expectations from wireless subscribers that handsets include Wi-Fi technology to handle both voice and data, and carriers are responding in kind with an interesting array of offerings combining Wi-Fi and cellular service,” said Victoria Fodale, manager, Market Data/Intelligence for In-Stat. “Delivering a high-quality user experience with voice over Wi-Fi will be critical to the success of converged service offerings, so the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Voice-Personal testing program is an important step for the industry.”

Voice over Wi Fi is typically used within mixed voice and data environments, in which multiple data streams compete for the available network resources. Products that successfully achieve Voice-Personal certification prioritize voice communication over data, audio, or video traffic, and also have met strict performance levels for key metrics that ensure a quality experience in voice applications: packet loss, latency and jitter.

The following are among some of the first devices to become Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Voice-Personal:

• Broadcom® BCM94704AGR High Performance Dual-Band (2.4/5 GHz) Router Reference Design
• Cisco Systems Aironet 1250 Series Access Point (AIR-AP1252AG )
• Cisco Systems Aironet 1200 Series Access Point (AIR-AP1231G with AIR-RM21A)
• DSP Group Expeditor Reference Design (with XpandR 1.01 software)
• Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
• Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
• Meru Networks AP200
• Redpine Signals Lite-Fi™ TGn SDIO


Products Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Voice-Personal have also passed tests for core interoperability (802.11a/b/g or 802.11n draft 2.0) and Wi-Fi Protected Access™ 2 (WPA2™) for the strong security protections, as well as Wi-Fi Multimedia™ (WMM®) for quality of service and WMM Power Save (access points only). Users should look for both access points and client devices that are Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Voice-Personal to ensure optimal voice quality when making calls over a Wi-Fi network.

A list of all products Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Voice-Personal, as well as a free white paper which describes the program in detail, is available at www.wi-fi.org.

White Paper: Delivering the Best User Experience with Voice over Wi-Fi

Frequently Asked Questions: Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ Voice-Personal

Media Presentation: Introducing Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Voice Personal