Ultra-Wideband Product Availability Continues to Surge

Business Wire, May 19, 2008

WiMedia Alliance Announces Additional Certified Wireless Platforms, Increasing Silicon Offerings in UWB Marketplace

SAN RAMON, Calif. -- The WiMedia Alliance[R] today announced that it has certified four more Ultra-Wideband (UWB) platforms. These platforms - from member companies Artimi, Inc. (one platform), NEC Electronics Corporation (two platforms) and Tzero Technologies (one platform) - bring the total number of WiMedia Certified Wireless Platforms (CWPs) to 23, providing additional offerings for ODMs and OEMs wanting to incorporate WiMedia-enabled Wireless USB into their next-generation products.

"Now that UWB and Wireless USB-enabled devices have hit the market, greater availability of WiMedia CWPs will help to drive the market forward with more interoperable solutions," said Brian O'Rourke, principal analyst for In-Stat. "The availability of platforms from a variety of silicon vendors helps fuel adoption by providing interoperable wireless solutions that support PC and multimedia applications with the same ease-of-use and familiarity as wired USB."

Platform certification is the culmination of the Alliance's comprehensive certification program and designates compliance with the internationally standardized WiMedia UWB specifications. CWPs have been rigorously tested at both the Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, assuring manufacturers that devices built upon WiMedia CWPs will deliver high-quality performance and ease-of-use in a variety of regions.

Market momentum for UWB continues to grow. The number of WiMedia CWPs available today has doubled since the first CWPs were announced in October 2007. Additionally, a growing number of consumer Wireless USB products are currently available in the market from manufacturers such as Belkin, D-Link, Dell, IOGEAR, Lenovo, NEC and Toshiba. Market research suggests these numbers will continue to grow as more CWPs are introduced.

"WiMedia CWPs provide the foundation for next-generation wireless multimedia products, the first of which will implement Wireless USB," said Tom Siep, vice president of the Alliance. "The increasing number of CWPs enables continued proliferation of Wireless USB in the market. We are very pleased to see our members continue certifying platforms and supporting the adoption of UWB technology worldwide."

Engineered to deliver unmatched file transfer rates in high-density environments, WiMedia UWB is the leading technology for multimedia applications within the wireless personal area network (WPAN). The four CWPs announced today continue to build upon the foundation laid by the WiMedia UWB specifications, and are capable of signaling rates up to 480 Mbps.

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, CSR, Intel, Nokia, NXP, Samsung Electronics, Staccato Communications, Stonestreet One and Wisair. For more information, please visit www.wimedia.org.