AUSTIN, TEXAS, June 23, 2008 - Just one yearafter the Wi-Fi Alliance introduced 802.11n draft 2.0 certification, the upwardtrajectory of this next-generation Wi-Fi technology continues unabated. Nearly 50percent of Wi-Fi chipsets sold this year are expected to adhere to the newsuperfast draft standard - double the number from 2007.

To date, theWi-Fi Alliance has put the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED seal of approval - indicatingvalidated product interoperability - on 325 products and is seeing strongnumbers of 802.11n draft 2.0 products presented for testing. Wi-Fi users have responded to the widespreadavailability of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products with unprecedentedenthusiasm. ABI Research forecasts thatby 2013, more than 90 percent of Wi-Fi products will support 802.11n,underscoring the tremendous benefits of advanced Wi-Fi technology and the importanceof interoperability certification in delivering the best user experience.

The productswhich have been Wi-Fi CERTIFIED to date in the program span both traditional PCnetworking gear and consumer electronics. Televisions, media servers, and gamingdevices are among the products certified in the first year, and nearly half ofthe products also support Wi-Fi Protected SetupTM, which eases the process ofconfiguring and protecting a home Wi-Fi network. Enterprise network managers can now choosefrom more 180 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED laptops, adapter cards, and networking solutionsthat include 802.11n draft 2.0.

"Across theboard, and with a range of consumer and enterprise devices, we are seeing areal hunger for all things 802.11n draft 2.0," said EdgarFigueroa, executive director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. "The standard has redefined the wirelessexperience, enabling streaming video, gaming, and other media throughout thehome, while enabling advanced applications in enterprise networks. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED delivers a great userexperience with a wide range of Wi-Fi products."

"Consumerswill increasingly demand the performance boost that 802.11n draft 2.0 providesfor data-intensive applications, including high definition video." said PhilSolis, principal analyst at ABI Research. "Acceptance by enterprise customerswill catch up to that of consumers this year due to the maturity of thetechnology and the increased availability of enterprise-grade Wi-Fi CERTIFIED802.11n draft 2.0 products over the last year."

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 productshave been tested for interoperability across vendors, adherence to WPA2TM (Wi-FiProtected Access) security protocols, and backward compatibility with more than4,500 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11 a/b/g products. Products based on the IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 deliver up to five timesthe throughput and up to twice the range of those based on previous standards,enabling a wide range of content-rich applications, and delivering thoseapplications over a larger footprint. The certification program also includes WMM® (Wi-Fi Multimedia) qualityof service, which helps deliver the best user experience with applications suchas voice, video and gaming.

With arapidly increasing number of draft-based products entering the market, theWi-Fi Alliance began certifying products ahead of the final IEEE 802.11nstandard to help ensure interoperability and the best user experience. The Wi-FiAlliance plans to certify products based on the final version of the 802.11nstandard once finalized by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineers).

"With somany companies now bringing Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products to themarket, and in light of the heavy demand for the advanced technology, it isclear that the Wi-Fi Alliance made the right decision at the right time. Our decision gave users confidence and drove growthin the market," Figueroa said.

A list ofall Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products and free white papers on 802.11ntechnology are available at www.wi-fi.org.

AUSTIN, TEXAS - 19 May 2008 - With enterprises increasingly upgrading their wireless networks to 802.11n draft 2.0, the Wi-Fi Alliance today released a new white paper addressing deployment considerations for the new technology in enterprise networks. The report is written by Burton Group, a research firm focused on in-depth analysis of enterprise technologies, and provides a look at such considerations as frequency band selection, power management, security, and network management solutions for next-generation Wi-Fi deployments.

"The uptake of 802.11n draft 2.0 has been unprecedented. We are pleased to have joined with Burton Group to deliver this report designed to help enterprise decision makers with their next generation Wi-Fi deployments," said Wi-Fi Alliance executive director Edgar Figueroa. "The report addresses 802.11n WLAN migration strategies and can help enterprises get the most benefit out of this high-throughput, high-range, new generation of Wi-Fi."

Enterprise IT managers have begun piloting and deploying Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 in earnest, and with good reason. This advanced Wi-Fi standard delivers substantial improvements to throughput and range compared to previous generations of Wi-Fi, enabling enterprises to leverage Wi-Fi networks for a widening array of applications and increasing number of users. Moreover, with more than 35 enterprise-grade infrastructure products from a variety of vendors now Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, network administrators have a broad selection of interoperable products from which to choose.

"Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n will eventually surpass wired Ethernet as the dominant enterprise LAN access technology," said Paul DeBeasi, senior analyst at the Burton Group. "Enterprises should begin 802.11n migration planning now by thoroughly understanding the deployment considerations presented in this new white paper."

The Wi-Fi Alliance has certified numerous products based upon 802.11n draft 2.0 since it began testing in June of 2007. Consumers and enterprise users are embracing the technology because of the performance gains it offers. Analyst firm ABI Research forecasts that 47% of all 2008 Wi-Fi chipset shipments will be 802.11n draft 2.0.

To download the white paper and a podcast featuring Wi-Fi Alliance executive director Edgar Figueroa and Burton Group analyst Paul DeBeasi, or to find Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n products for the enterprise, visit www.wi-fi.org.

Austin, TX - February 11, 2008 - The Wi-Fi Alliance today announced that more than 200 products haveachieved the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval for Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Thisprogram, launched in January 2007, helps consumer and small-business users moreeasily set up Wi-Fi networks with strong security protections.  The 200-product milestone reflects wideindustry commitment to delivering the best user experience with Wi-Fitechnology.

Productscertified for Wi-Fi Protected Setup include dual-mode Wi-Fi/cellular phones,Wi-Fi-enabled printers, and more than 80 products featuring next-generationWi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 technology. More than half of the devices are also certified for WMM® (Wi-FiMultimedia) Quality of Service, which optimizes them for voice, gaming, and multimediaapplications. 

"Asconsumers increasingly demand Wi-Fi connectivity, not just in laptops, but alsoin phones and entertainment devices, it's more important than ever that it beeasy to connect and protect those devices," said Wi-Fi Alliance executivedirector Edgar Figueroa.  "Wi-Fi Protected Setup reduces by half thesteps involved in setting up a Wi-Fi network, and consumers should look forWi-Fi Protected Setup icon on products bearing the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo."

"Because it dramatically eases the networkconfiguration process, Wi-Fi Protected Setup enables further proliferation ofWi-Fi in consumer electronics and handsets," said Kurt Scherf, vice presidentand principal analyst with Parks Associates. "We expect more and more of those devices to ship with Wi-Fi on board,and it's good to see that the industry has embraced this tool to make Wi-Fieasier for consumers to set up."

Theorganization has also launched testing support for NFC (Near-FieldCommunication) as an additional Wi-Fi Protected Setup network configurationmethod.  In the NFC method, a usertouches a card or token to designated areas on an access point and a clientdevice to connect them. NFC joins two previously-tested mechanisms, push-buttonand PIN entry, to simplify the process of joining devices to a security-enabledWi-Fi network. 

Like thepush-button method, the NFC technique is especially useful to connect devicesthat don't have a keyboard-oriented user interface, such as cameras, gamingdevices, and other consumer electronics. Manufacturers now have even moreflexibility in how to deploy Wi-Fi Protected Setup, ultimately giving consumersmore choice when they buy Wi-Fi CERTIFIED phones and consumer electronics.  

A list ofall products Wi-Fi CERTIFIED for Wi-Fi Protected Setup, as well as a free whitepaper which describes the specification in detail, is available at www.wi-fi.org.


About the Wi-Fi Alliance
TheWi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association of morethan 300 member companies devoted to promoting the growth of wirelessLocal Area Networks (WLANs). With the aim of enhancing the user experience forwireless portable, mobile, and home entertainment devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance'stesting and certification programs help ensure the interoperability of WLANproducts based on the IEEE 802.11 specification. Since the introduction ofthe Wi-Fi Alliance's certification program in March 2000, morethan 4,000 products have been designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™,encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services across the consumerand enterprise markets. 

 
Media contact: Edelman for Wi-FiAlliance: Michael Diamond,michael.diamond@edelman.com, +1 650-762-2959.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – January 8, 2007 – The Wi-Fi Alliance has certified the first products implementing its new simplified method for configuring security-enabled networks in the digital home. The new optional certification, called Wi-Fi Protected Setup, is based on a specification developed by Wi-Fi Alliance member companies to provide an industry-standard approach to ease setup of Wi-Fi networks and encourage consumers to always enable security features.

Wi-Fi Protected Setup is expected to further enable the proliferation of Wi-Fi technology in PCs and beyond. A wide range of devices are eligible to pursue the certification, including traditional PC equipment, televisions, stereos, and gaming consoles, as well as phones. The first release of the program supports use of a push-button technique or entry of a PIN (personal identification number) to network Wi-Fi devices. Support for methods using Near-Field Communication, in which a user simply touches a token or card to a device, as well as USB Flash drives, is planned for later in the first half of 2007.

“Wi-Fi has quickly become one of the most pervasive wireless technologies, but consumers have told us they want it to be easier to set up and protect,” said Wi-Fi Alliance Managing Director Frank Hanzlik. “Wi-Fi Protected Setup reduces by half the number of user steps required to set up a network, enabling Wi-Fi to be more easily installed across a range of consumer devices.”

“Having an industry-standard approach to simplified network setup will be a big help, as new users adopt Wi-Fi and more experienced users want to connect a wider array of devices,” said Kurt Scherf, Vice President, Principal Analyst with Parks Associates. “We expect 90% of networked homes to include Wi-Fi by 2010, so it’s critical that manufacturers make it as easy as possible to configure.”

The first products to become Wi-Fi CERTIFIED for Wi-Fi Protected Setup are:
•Atheros AR5006X 802.11a/b/g Wireless Network Adapter
•Atheros AR5002AP-2X Concurrent 802.11a and 802.11b/g Dual-band WLAN Access Point
•Broadcom BCM94704AGR 54g Dual-band Access Point Reference Design
•BUFFALO AirStation Wireless-A&G High Power Access Point WHR-HP-AMPGV
•BUFFALO AirStation Wireless-A&G High Power Notebook Adapter STA: WLI-CB-AMG54
•Conexant CX94515 ADSL2+ Gateway
•Intel® PROSet/Wireless Software Version 11.1
•Marvell 802.11a/b/g Wireless USB Client
•Marvell TopDog™ Draft 802.11n Access Point
•Ralink Technology RT5201U (802.11a/b/g USB) / Packet Overdrive™

A white paper entitled “Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ for Wi-Fi Protected Setup: Easing the User Experience for Home and Small Office Networks” provides a detailed look at how Wi-Fi Protected Setup works and is available for free download at the Wi-Fi Alliance web site, www.wi-fi.org. In addition, application developers will find the full Wi-Fi Simple Config Specification, the foundation for Wi-Fi Protected Setup, available for purchase at the web site.

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 mobile wireless devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance’s testing and certification programs 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 3,000 products have been designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services across the consumer and enterprise markets.


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

AUSTIN, TEXAS – November 2, 2006

WHAT:The Wi-Fi Alliance, in conjunction with Kelton Research, today announced results of a nationwide survey measuring consumer awareness of Wi-Fi security. Overall findings indicate that consumers view Wi-Fi network protection as an important home security issue and are activating their network’s security accordingly.

Among the key take-aways:
•Keeping it under lock and key. Keeping families and homes safe is a high priority for many Americans, and Wi-Fi networks are no exception. Respondents ranked security for their Wi-Fi network as a “top three” essential element of home security, right behind locking windows and doors and installing a home alarm system. More than 40 percent of respondents felt that a protected Wi-Fi network is an important part of creating a safe home.
•Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s Wi-Fi. Eighty-three percent of Americans agree that using someone else’s Wi-Fi without their knowledge is stealing. Respondents do not approve of neighbors borrowing their signal and want to protect themselves from the 17 percent of Americans who see nothing wrong with using someone else’s network.
•Security is the best policy. Americans are keeping themselves safe by activating their network security. Seven out of 10 respondents have enabled security on their wireless networks, allowing them to enjoy the freedom of Wi-Fi with security protections in place.

WHO:Survey respondents are representative of the total U.S. population, age 18 and older with broadband Internet access at home.

WHEN/HOW: The survey was conducted online by Kelton Research between September 29 and October 10, 2006 and included 549 nationally representative Americans. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. Chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, +/- 4.2 percentage points, from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons represented by the sample.

All decimals are rounded to the nearest percentage point. This may result in certain numerical totals adding up to slightly more or slightly less than 100 percent.

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 mobile wireless devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance’s testing and certification programs 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 3,000 products have been designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services across the consumer and enterprise markets.

Media Contact:
To schedule a meeting with the Wi-Fi Alliance or receive a copy of the survey findings, contact: Dominic Ybarra, Edelman, +1 650-762-2960, dominic.ybarra@edelman.com.

AUSTIN, TEXAS – August 16, 2006 – The Wi-Fi Alliance today announced Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ as the name for its upcoming consumer ease-of-use program, formerly code named “Wi-Fi Simple Config.” Slated for launch in Q4 of this year, the program is planned as an optional certification based on a standardized method for security setup in home Wi-Fi networks.

Recent research indicates that 43% of Wi-Fi users found that installing security on a home Wi-Fi network moderately-to-very difficult (Wi-Fi Alliance/Kelton Research, 2006). Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ is designed to ease installation and activation of security features on a network to improve the home Wi-Fi user experience.

“Wi-Fi technology is proliferating across a wider range of consumer electronics, so ease-of-use has become more important than ever,” said Wi-Fi Alliance Managing Director Frank Hanzlik. “The Wi-Fi Alliance will continue play a central role in enabling a positive user experience.”

The Wi-Fi Protected Setup certification will join the portfolio of certifications available to Wi-Fi Alliance members that manufacture a wide variety of devices, ranging from PCs and printers to televisions, cameras, and gaming consoles.

About the Wi-Fi Alliance
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association of more than 275 member companies devoted to promoting the growth of wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). With the aim of enhancing the user experience for mobile wireless devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance’s testing and certification programs 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 3,000 products have been designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services across the consumer and enterprise markets.

Media Contact: Michael Diamond, Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance
michael.diamond@edelman.com, +1.650.429.2772

AUSTIN, Texas, March 13, 2006 - The Wi-Fi Alliance announced today that the WPA2 security certification program, the second generation of Wi-Fi Protected Access, is now a mandatory feature for all new Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ products, marking the next step in the evolution of Wi-Fi security. Nearly 600 products have been Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ for WPA2 since it was introduced as an optional program in September 2004, building on the existing WPA program.

Consumers and enterprise customers alike can be more confident than ever that their wireless networks are using the latest technology by insisting on Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ wireless gear. WPA2 is fully compatible with WPA, the first generation of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ security, and brings the technology two generations past WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), the original security method for Wi-Fi networks.

"By requiring WPA2 for all Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ products, we're making it easy for people to be confident that the very latest generation of security is there, built in, and ready to use," said Wi-Fi Alliance Managing Director Frank Hanzlik. "WPA2 helps ensure that only authorized users can access a network, and that the data they send and receive can't be compromised."

"Elevating the requirements for certification ensures users have access to the very latest security technology," said Craig Matthias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group in Ashland, MA. "With nearly 600 products implementing and certifying WPA2 certification before it became mandatory, the industry has demonstrated its overwhelming support for this standard and desire to deliver on end-user expectations for security and authentication."

A complete list of certified products incorporating WPA2 can be seen by visiting www.wi-fi.org. A white paper titled Deploying Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and WPA2 in the Enterprise is also available for free download.

More on WPA2

WPA2 is based upon the full IEEE 802.11i standard, including the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which is "government-grade" data encryption developed by the U. S. National Institute of Standards and Technology. WPA2 can be configured to support the earlier WPA security protocol.

There are two types of WPA2: Personal and Enterprise. The WPA2-Personal implementation, designed for consumer use, encrypts data with AES and uses a password to establish access to the Wi-Fi network.

WPA2-Enterprise encrypts data with AES and verifies the identity of network users using Extensible Authentication Protocol, or EAP. The WPA2-Enterprise program includes testing for five widely-deployed EAP types to cater to a variety of usage scenarios and device types.

About the Wi-Fi Alliance

The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association of more than 250 member companies devoted to promoting the growth of wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). With the aim of enhancing the user experience for mobile wireless devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance's testing and certification programs 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 2,500 products have been designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products and services across the consumer and enterprise markets.

Wi-Fi®, Wi-Fi Alliance®, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ logo, and the Wi-Fi logo are registered trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance. WMM, WPA, WPA2, Wi-Fi ZONE, and the Wi-Fi Alliance logo are trademarks of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

For more information, contact: Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance: Michael Diamond, michael.diamond@edelman.com, 650-429-2772.

AUSTIN, Texas, April 12, 2005 The Wi-Fi Alliance has added four new widely deployed Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) types to its Wi-Fi Protected Access- (WPATM) and WPA2-Enterprise certification programs. These new EAP types further expand the tested interoperability of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ WPA- and WPA2-Enterprise networking products for enterprise and government deployments.

The newly-supported EAP types include EAP-TTLS/MSCHAPv2, PEAPv0/EAP-MSCHAPv2, PEAPv1/EAP-GTC and EAP-SIM, joining the currently tested EAP-TLS. In addition, supplicants and authentication servers from Wi-Fi Alliance member companies Devicescape Software and Meetinghouse join existing products from Funk Software, Inc. and Microsoft Corp. in the test bed for the program.

"The robust security enabled by WPA and WPA2 provides the high level of confidence required in large-scale, enterprise-class deployments," commented Wi-Fi Alliance Managing Director Frank Hanzlik. "Expanded EAP testing is a direct response to the ongoing demand for interoperability across authentication methods, and delivers greatly increased flexibility to enterprise IT managers."

The Wi-Fi Alliance has long taken a leadership role with regard to interoperable, standards-based security. Since the launch of the WPA program in April 2003, and the release of WPA2 in September2004, nearly 800 products have undergone WPA and WPA2 interoperability certification.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has also released a new white paper titled, Deploying Wi-Fi Protected Access(WPA) and WPA2 in the Enterprise. This paper, ideal for IT managers planning a Wi-Fi deployment,outlines the seven key steps to successfully deploy a secure Wi-Fi network in an enterprise or government setting. The free white paper is available for download from the Wi-Fi Alliance website at www.wi-fi.org

About the Wi-Fi Alliance

The Wi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association of more than 200 member companies devoted to promoting the growth of wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). With the aim of enhancing the user experience for mobile wireless devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance's testing and certification programs 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 2,000 products havebeen designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi products andservices across the consumer and enterprise markets. For more information, please visit www.wi-fi.org.

For more information, contact:Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance: Lisa Grantham, lisa.grantham@edelman.com, 650-429-2758 Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance: Matthew Krebsbach, matthew.krebsbach@edelman.com, 512-334-6326

Mountain View, CA, February 3, 2004 - The Wi-Fi Alliance announced today that over 175 products from over 40 of the worlds leading technology manufacturers have received Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security certification since testing began in April of 2003. WPA is the current state-of-the-art wireless LAN security technology. The Wi-Fi Alliance has taken the proactive move of requiring WPA for all Wi-Fi certifications awarded since September 2003. A useful online resource for Wi-Fi Protected Access security can be found at www.wi-fi.org/wpa.

Wi-Fi Protected Access is the security replacement for WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy). Since WEP can be compromised, it should not be considered a secure mechanism to protect Wi-Fi wireless LAN traffic. The Wi-Fi Alliance recommends that WPA be enabled in wireless LAN applications where data security is a concern. WPA has proven to be a very secure and easily implemented security solution. WEP should only be used when a more secure wireless LAN security solution is not available.

Wi-Fi Protected Access meets the wireless LAN security needs of both enterprises and individuals, said Wi-Fi Alliance Managing Director, Frank Hanzlik. This is a very robust, cross vendor interoperable security technology that is both easier to install than its flawed predecessor WEP and far more secure. The Wi-Fi Alliance recommends that WEP be dropped in favor of WPA for applications as soon as feasible.

Wi-Fi Protected Access establishes a strong foundation for secure wireless LAN connections. There are also plans to add additional security capabilities to WPA with the next version of WPA called WPA2. Products certified for WPA2 are anticipated to be available in the middle of 2004. However, users need not wait for WPA2. WPA2 is an enhancement, but most business and personal security needs are met by WPA today, Hanzlik added.

Industry analysts have also found that Wi-Fi Protected Access and Wi-Fi certification have had a positive impact on the security of Wi-Fi technology. Synergy Research has observed that, Until recently, depressed IT spending had a significant negative impact on the market for enterprise wireless products.† Furthermore, security has also been a major concern with Enterprise IT professionals, which has also slowed adoption. However, now that the Wi-Fi Protected Access security solution is available, Synergy has seen a marked increase in Enterprise WLAN sales.

The first WPA certifications were announced in April of 2003, and the certification saw very rapid adoption by wireless LAN vendors prior to it becoming a mandatory feature in September 2003. The Wi-Fi Alliance made Wi-Fi Protected Access security a requirement for Wi-Fi certification due to the importance of security to the end users. It is also important to recognize that Wi-Fi certification is the only way to be sure that wireless LAN products from different vendors and even the same vendor will work together.

The Wi-Fi Alliance currently performs four independent interoperability certifications including IEEE 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and Wi-Fi Protected Access in addition to a combination of all of these technologies. Wi-Fi Protected Access has been required for all certification combinations since September of 2003. A searchable database of Wi-Fi Alliance certifications can be found at www.wi-fi.org/certified_products.

Products awarded the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ logo have undergone rigorous independent testing at one of four labs in Tokyo, Japan; San Jose, California; Winnersh, UK; or Taipei, Taiwan. The Wi-Fi interoperability certification program has become the international standard for providing high-quality interoperability testing for IEEE 802.11-based products.

Companies obtaining Wi-Fi Protected Access product certification include:

See Wi-Fi at CeBIT

Wi-Fi-based wireless LANs will be on display at CeBIT (Hall 13, Wireless Area Network Exchange Pavilion, Stand #D37, Booth #C6), March 18-24, 2004, at the Hannover Fairgrounds in Hannover, Germany.

About the Wi-Fi Alliance

The Wi-Fi Alliance (formerly WECA) is the global Wi-Fi organization that created the Wi-Fi brand. A nonprofit organization, the Alliance was formed in 1999 to certify interoperability of IEEE 802.11 products and to promote them as the global, wireless LAN standard across all market segments.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has instituted a test suite that defines how member products are tested to certify that they are interoperable with other Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ products. These tests are conducted at an independent laboratory.

Membership in the Wi-Fi Alliance is open to all companies that support the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. The Wi-Fi Alliance now comprises over 200 members from the worlds leading companies. These companies offer over 1,000 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ products. For more information, please visit www.wi-fi.org, and for information on Wi-Fi ZONE public access locations go to www.wi-fizone.org.

Background Information:

WPA Security White Paper: www.wi-fi.org/OpenSection/pdf/Whitepaper_Wi-Fi_Security4-29-03.pdf
WPA Q&A: www.wi-fi.org/OpenSection/pdf/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access_QA.pdf
WPA Overview: www.wi-fi.org/OpenSection/pdf/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access_Overview.pdf
WPA Home Overview: www.wi-fi.org/OpenSection/pdf/WPA_Home_Overview.pdf

Press and analyst contact:

C. Brian Grimm
Wave Communications
for Wi-Fi Alliance
910.686.0870
briang@wavecoms.com