1394 Trade Association Establishes New Wireless Working Group; Chartered to Expand IEEE 1394 into Wireless Domain; Initial Focus Set on Links Between IEEE 1394 and 802.11.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2001

The 1394 Trade Association today announced the formation of a new Wireless Working Group, established to facilitate interconnectivity between the 1394 wired domains and wireless domains for computer and consumer electronics equipment.

The new group will be chaired by Steve Bard of Intel, and is the newest in a growing group of active technical organizations sponsored and supported by the 1394 Trade Association. The WWG now plans an initial concept demonstration at the annual Intel Developers' Forum in San Jose Feb. 27 through March 1.

Bard emphasized that the WWG will not endorse or seek to replace any wireless specification or protocols and is not intending to compete with the development activities now in progress. Initial work will concentrate on bridging technology.

He indicated that the WWG will include a liaison to the 802.11 working groups, noting that there is a growing demand for wireless products and systems that use the 802.11 technology.

The 802.11 standard has been proposed by the IEEE for wireless local area networks, using either ad hoc or infrastructure methods for configuring a network. Under the ad hoc network, computers are brought together "on the fly." The infrastructure architecture uses fixed network access points with which mobile node communicate.

Leaders of the new group include Microsoft, Intel, Texas Instruments, NEC, Sony, Matsushita, Philips, and many other companies that are now developing computer and consumer electronics systems using the 1394/FireWire/i.LINK standard.

"Since its inception, the 1394 standard has grown into new markets and new applications," said James Snider, chairman of the 1394 Trade Association. "The new Wireless Working Group continues that extension, and will show how a broad range of sectors can benefit from 1394. "Over the past year, we have seen adoption of 1394-based technology in the automotive and instrumentation industries, and the new WWG is a very exciting new step for us."

The 1394 Trade Association includes more than 165 members worldwide dedicated to the proliferation and advancement of IEEE 1394. For more information please visit the TA's web sites at www.1394ta.org or www.askfor1394.com.