3Com AirConnect Wireless LAN Awarded Wi-Fi Certification From Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance; Approval Ensures Compatibility With Other Vendors' Wi-Fi Products.Business Editors/High-tech Writers SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2000 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS COMS 3Com Corporation (stock symbol) COMS Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist COMS Continuous Opacity Monitoring Systems COMS City of Manchester Stadium (UK) ) today announced that its 3Com(R) AirConnect(R) 11Mbps Wireless LAN A local area network that transmits over the air typically in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz unlicensed frequency band. It does not require line of sight between sender and receiver. Wireless base stations (access points) are wired to an Ethernet network and transmit a radio frequency over an area is among the first products awarded the Wi-Fi(TM) certification for interoperability The capability of two or more hardware devices or two or more software routines to work harmoniously together. For example, in an Ethernet network, display adapters, hubs, switches and routers from different vendors must conform to the Ethernet standard and interoperate with each other. . Granted by the Wireless Ethernet The standard for wireless networking within a home or office. Also known as a "Wi-Fi" or "802.11" network, wireless Ethernet is the wireless counterpart to regular, wired Ethernet, which is also the standard for local networks. See 802.11 and wireless LAN. Compatibility Alliance (WECA See Wi-Fi Alliance. ), the Wi-Fi compatibility logo serves as the "seal of interoperability" for products based on the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York, www.ieee.org) A membership organization that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics and allied fields. 802.11b standard -- assuring consumers and corporate customers that 3Com's solution will work with wireless LAN products from other vendors. The AirConnect wireless LAN delivers simple and reliable wireless connectivity at Ethernet speeds -- enabling customers to improve their productivity by extending network access beyond the desktop and provide real-time information when and where people need it. Wi-Fi certification ensures that users will experience the benefits of wireless LANs when moving across different environments, such as their office, home and in public areas -- regardless of what wireless infrastructure equipment is installed. Interoperability also protects customers' investments by allowing them to switch between vendors for their wireless access points and PC Cards. "The skyrocketing wireless industry has been plagued by competing standards and lack of cross-vendor compatibility. To eliminate customer confusion and simplify purchase decisions, 3Com has developed Wi-Fi compliant wireless LAN solutions that interoperate See interoperable. with other vendors' products," said Paul Fulton, vice president and general manager of 3Com's Wireless Connectivity Division. "Such interoperability is key to advancing the adoption of wireless LANs into the corporate, small business, home and public access markets." The 3Com AirConnect Wireless LAN is based on the Wi-Fi standard (also known as IEEE 802.11b), which is backed by the industry's leading wireless LAN and PC manufacturers. Wi-Fi is the only wireless LAN standard available today that provides wireless access at Ethernet speeds. In addition, declining costs are now making Wi-Fi systems more attractive to corporate, small business and home users. Only the Wi-Fi logo can ensure that a user's wireless LAN device can traverse these different environments and be compatible wherever they go. "As a founding member of WECA, we are pleased that the AirConnect solution has passed the organization's rigorous set of interoperability tests," said David Cohen For other persons named David Cohen, see David Cohen (disambiguation). David Cohen (November 13, 1914 - October 3, 2005), was an American politician, noted for his service in the administration of President Franklin D. , vice chairman of WECA and product manager for 3Com's Wireless Connectivity Division. "The Wi-Fi certification process involved an unprecedented level of vendor cooperation, which demonstrates the prevailing intent of the industry giants to adopt 802.11b as the defacto standard for wireless LANs." The 3Com AirConnect 11Mbps Wireless LAN is competitively priced at $1195 per access point and $219 per PC Card (U.S.). 3Com also sells an AirConnect Starter Pack A starter pack (or starter deck) is a sealed package of cards or figurines, designed to serve as the beginning of a collection, in collectible card games and collectible miniature wargames. Starter packs usually contain a fairly large number of items. , consisting of an access point and three PC Cards, for a list price of $1795, and plans to offer an AirConnect PCI Card A circuit board that plugs into the computer's PCI bus and contains the control electronics for a peripheral device. Starting in the latter half of the 1990s, PCI became very popular. See PCI. for desktop PCs this spring. For additional information, visit http://www.3Com.com/wireless. About the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance The Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) is a non-profit organization A non-profit organization (abbreviated "NPO", also "non-profit" or "not-for-profit") is a legally constituted organization whose primary objective is to support or to actively engage in activities of public or private interest without any commercial or monetary profit purposes. 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. WECA has defined a test suite that defines how member products are tested to certify that they are interoperable with other vendor products. An independent test lab, The Silicon Valley Networking Lab, Inc. (www.svnl.com), conducts the testing. Consumers are assured that any product bearing the Wi-Fi logo will work with other Wi-Fi products. For additional information about WECA or the Wi-Fi certification process, visit www.wi-fi.org. About 3Com Corporation With more than 300 million customer connections worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people and organizations to information and each other in more innovative, simple and reliable ways than any other networking company. 3Com delivers web-enabled solutions to consumers, small- to medium-sized business locations and network service providers. For more information, visit 3Com's web site @ www.3com.com/pressbox. Note to Editors: 3Com and AirConnect are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. |
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