With more and more products becoming certified after just three months of Wi-Fi Alliances testing, it seems that the next generation of Wi-Fi is becoming a reality. 

Read more in this press release.

	Products certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance(R) support rich multimedia devices

	               for home, small office and enterprise networks

	

	    AUSTIN, Texas and BEIJING, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wi-Fi Alliance

	today announced that more than 90 next-generation 802.11n draft 2.0

	products have been Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) since the organization's testing

	program began just three months ago. This first wave of products, which

	include access points, laptop computers, routers and wireless networking

	cards, enable consumer and enterprise users to select from a growing number

	of interoperable next-generation Wi-Fi gear.

	    "Wi-Fi is a pervasive wireless technology used by more than 350 million

	people at more than 200,000 public hotspots, millions of homes and

	businesses worldwide," said Wi-Fi Alliance Senior Director Karen Hanley.

	"Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products are transforming the wireless

	landscape by combining increased throughput and range in products that have

	passed rigorous tests for interoperability. We expect the rate of adoption

	of next-generation Wi-Fi will continue to accelerate in new devices and

	multi-media applications."

	    802.11n enables Wi-Fi networks to do more, faster, and over a larger

	area. ABI Research forecasts more than 90 percent of Wi-Fi chipset

	shipments will support 802.11n in 2012. "For many, 802.11n will

	revolutionize the way Wi-Fi is deployed and enjoyed, enabling larger

	data-heavy applications, including video," said Phil Solis, principal

	analyst at ABI Research. "At the same time we expect that many people who

	have not previously tried Wi-Fi will, substantially growing the market."

	    802.11n is based on the MIMO (Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output) air

	interface technology, which employs multiple receivers and transmitters to

	transport two or more data streams simultaneously in the same frequency

	channel. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products can achieve data rates

	of up to 300 Mbps, providing the best wireless connection available for

	enterprise and home networks alike -- delivering the range, bandwidth, and

	performance today's multimedia applications and products require.

	    Companies that have been first to achieve 802.11n draft 2.0 certifications

	include the following:

	

	    Accton Technology      Conexant Systems,       Metalink

	      Corporation            Inc.                  NEC Corporation

	    Apple Inc.             D-Link Corporation/     Netgear

	    Atheros                D-Link Systems, Inc.    Planex

	      Communications       Edimax Technology         Communications Inc.

	    AsusTek Computer Inc.  Fujitsu Computer        Ralink Technology,

	    AzureWave                Systems Corporation     Corp.

	      Technologies Inc.    Hewlett-Packard         Realtek

	    Belkin International,    Development Company     Semiconductor Corp.

	      Inc.                 Intel Corporation       SMC Networks, Inc.

	    Broadcom Corporation   Lenovo                  Sony Corporation

	    Buffalo Technology,    Linksys                 Toshiba America, Inc.

	      Inc.                 Marvell Technology      Z-com, Inc.

	    Cisco Systems, Inc.      Group Ltd.

	    Consumer and enterprise users should look for the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo

	or certification validation when purchasing 802.11n draft 2.0 products.

	Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products are tested for interoperability, adherence to

	WPA2(TM) (Wi-Fi Protected Access(TM)) security protocols and backward

	compatibility with 802.11a/b/g. WMM(R) (Wi-Fi Multimedia(TM)) quality of

	service is also part of the testing program, helping to ensure the best

	user experience with applications such as voice, video and gaming. This

	testing and the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED "seal of approval" indicate to Wi-Fi users

	that their Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products have been tested to work together.

	    The Wi-Fi Alliance plans to certify products based on the final version

	of the 802.11n standard once ratified by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical

	and Electronics Engineers).

	    A list of all Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11n draft 2.0 products and free white

	papers on 802.11n technology are available at http://www.wi-fi.org.

	    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 3,500 products have been

	designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM), encouraging the expanded use of Wi-Fi

	products and services across the consumer and enterprise markets. More

	information is available at http://www.wi-fi.org.