Wireless Gigabit Alliance's WiGig Standard Now Has Big-Name Backers

Wi-Fi Gigabit Ghz allied organizations said Monday

But the powerful Wi-Fi Alliance isn't the only big-name backer of the 60 Ghz technology; the WiGig Board of Directors on Monday also named Cisco Systems as a new member.

"Cisco sees 60 Ghz technology as an important option in the evolution of wireless LANs in the enterprise, small business and home," said Bob Friday, director of strategic initiatives for Cisco's Wireless Business Unit, in a statement. "The wireless arena is certainly one in which Cisco can contribute greatly, especially as networks and information access become increasingly borderless by nature."

According to the Wi-Fi Alliance and the Wireless Gigabit Alliance, the 60 Ghz band wireless technology isn't meant to replace existing Wi-Fi technology, but to target wireless use by high-performance applications.

“Now that our specification is complete and published, it’s time to set our sights on driving a great user experience through interoperability and certification,” said Dr. Ali Sadri, president and chairman of the WiGig Alliance, in a statement. “We are happy to work with the Wi-Fi Alliance to extend multi-gigabit capabilities to the Wi-Fi technology portfolio.”

In addition to Cisco, the WiGig Alliance is supported by a number of technology companies, including Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Panasonic, Samsung and Toshiba.

Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at the Enderle Group, suggested that industry interest in next-generation Wi-Fi technologies like WiGig is no big surprise.

"WiGig shows enormous potential to drive the kind of wireless performance that businesses and consumers need," Enderle said in a statement. "The organization has brought together a critical mass of diverse industry leaders, and with the publication of its unified specification, WiGig is enabling the next generation of multi-gigabit wireless products for multiple platforms and applications."