Wi-Fi Alliance
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Wi-Fi Alliance is a trade group that owns the trademark to Wi-Fi. In wireless computer networking, Wi-Fi refers to a family of related specifications (the IEEE 802.11 group) which specify methods and techniques of wireless local area network operation. Early 802.11 products suffered from interoperability problems because the IEEE has no provision for testing equipment for compliance with its standards. In 1999, pioneers of the new, higher speed IEEE 802.11b specification including 3Com, Aironet (now Cisco), Harris Semiconductor (now Intersil), Lucent (now Agere), Nokia and Symbol Technologies formed the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) and branded the new technology Wi-Fi. The charter for this independent organization was to perform testing, certify interoperability of products, and to promote the technology. WECA renamed itself the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2003, and is now based in Austin, Texas.
Today, most producers of 802.11 equipment are members, and (as of Dec 2005) the Wi-Fi Alliance has some 260 members.
The Wi-Fi Alliance also owns and controls the Wi-FI CERTIFIED logo, a registered trademark, which is permitted only on compliant equipment. Purchasers relying on that trademark will have greater chances of interoperation than otherwise. But, since the standards involve not only radio and data format interoperability, but security protocols, and since there have been several releases and versions in both categories, interoperability is still not trivially achieved.
[edit] External links
- The Wi-Fi Alliance
- not to be confused with the WiMedia Alliance
