Xircom Joins Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance

Xircom, Inc.rmation access equipment vendor <%=company%> (Thousand Oaks, CA) has joined the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) with plans to submit its family of wireless Ethernet products, scheduled to begin shipping this summer, for compatibility testing and Wi-Fi certification. WECA's charter is to promote the global interoperability of all Wireless LAN (WLAN) products and systems which are based on the IEEE 802.11b HR standard (see N I 2000: The Sky's the Limit for Wireless LAN ).

According to Xircom, the company's membership in WECA is part of a strategic wireless initiative announced earlier this year. Xircom plans to integrate an array of wireless technologies, including Bluetooth short-range radio, 802.11b HR WLAN, GPRS, and CDMA, into a wide range of products targeted at the corporate enterprise, small- and mid-size business, home-office, and residential.

Growing demand for wireless LANs
According to a recent study by Cahners In-Stat Group, a Scottsdale, AZ-based research firm, total unit shipments for the enterprise wireless LAN market—including network interface cards, bridges, and access points—will expand at a 32% compound annual growth rate from 2000 to 2004, reaching more than 7 million units shipped worldwide. The increasing demand for mobile solutions from enterprise users, combined with the widespread support for high-speed wireless networking, will continue to drive this market to wider acceptance.

The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) is a non-profit organization formed in 1999 to certify interoperability of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b High Rate) products and to promote Wi-Fi as the global wireless LAN standard across all market segments.

Edited by John Spofford, Managing Editor