WiMedia Alliance Certifies First Ultra-Wideband Products

WiMedia Alliance Certifies First Ultra-Wideband Products

October 09, 2007

Eight Members Obtain Official Platform Certification for
WiMedia-Based Silicon


    SAN RAMON, Calif., Oct. 8 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The
WiMedia(TM) Alliance today announced the first silicon
products certified on its Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Common Radio
Platform. A total of 12 platforms from WiMedia members
Alereon, Inc., Artimi, Inc., Intel Corporation, Realtek
Semiconductor Corporation, Staccato Communications, Tzero
Technologies, WiQuest Communications and Wisair have
successfully completed both phases of the Alliance's
compliance and interoperability testing, paving the way for
the introduction of WiMedia-based end-user devices in the
personal computing, consumer electronics and mobile device
markets.

    "This is a pivotal development for UWB," said
Stephen Wood, president of the WiMedia Alliance.
"WiMedia Platform Certification ensures a high-level
of interoperability among WiMedia-based applications and
provides assurance to original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) that products incorporating WiMedia Certified
platforms will operate with minimal interference from other
devices, enabling a positive user experience for their
customers. With certified platforms available,
manufacturers can begin utilizing WiMedia UWB in their
consumer products at an accelerated rate."

    Silicon certified on the WiMedia platform provides the
foundation for a number of high-speed wireless protocols,
including next generation Bluetooth and Wireless USB.
Utilizing the WiMedia specifications, these applications
provide low power consumption and data rates of up to 480
Mbps in the wireless personal area network (WPAN).

    The WiMedia Alliance has held a series of
interoperability testing events since its certification
program was launched in early 2006. These events have
helped ready products for advancement in the certification
program, leading to the establishment of certified
platforms. Successful platform certification would not have
been possible without the support of WiMedia members Agilent
Technologies, Inc., Ellisys, Intel Corporation, LeCroy
Corporation and WiQuest Communications, who provided
facilities, test equipment and skilled technical resources
to the Alliance and participating vendors.

    WiMedia Certified platforms undergo two phases of
rigorous testing against the Alliance's international UWB
standards (ISO/IEC 26907 and 26908). In the first phase,
vendors test and "register" Physical Layer
implementations (PHYs) based on the WiMedia PHY
specification. Registered PHYs are then combined with a
Media Access Control (MAC) layer and submitted for
certification as a complete platform. Platforms that
successfully complete each level of the certification
program are granted official platform certification. This
designation ensures that certified platforms will coexist
with other certified platforms, and perform as expected,
according to specifications.

    More information on the WiMedia Alliance and its
certification program is available at 
http://www.wimedia.org .

    About The WiMedia Alliance

    The WiMedia Alliance is a not-for-profit open industry
association that promotes and enables the rapid adoption,
regulation, standardization and multi-vendor
interoperability of ultra-wideband (UWB) worldwide. The
basis for the industry's first UWB standards (published by
Ecma International), WiMedia UWB is optimized for wireless
personal-area networks delivering high-speed (480Mbps and
beyond), low-power multimedia capabilities for the PC, CE,
mobile and automotive market segments. Emphasizing peaceful
coexistence with other wireless services, the WiMedia UWB
Common Radio Platform is designed to operate with
application stacks developed by the 1394 Trade Association
Wireless Working Group, the Certified Wireless USB Promoter
Group and the Bluetooth-SIG.  WiMedia's board members
include Alereon, HP, Intel, Nokia, NXP, Samsung
Electronics, Sony, STMicroelectronics, Staccato
Communications, Texas Instruments and Wisair.  For more
information, please visit http://www.wimedia.org .



    For more information, please contact:

     Tracee Larson / Rachel Shaver 
     WiMedia Alliance PR 
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]