The Wi-Fi Alliance and the Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) Alliance have finalized their agreement to consolidate WiGig technology and certification development in Wi-Fi Alliance, the groups announced Tuesday.
The groups, which have been collaborating for two years, announced a memorandum of understanding in December 2012 to unify their development of a wireless standard in the 60 GHz band.
Sponsor members of Wi-Fi Alliance include Comcast, Apple, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell, Huawei Technologies, Intel, LG, Microsoft, Motorola Solutions, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, Sony, Texas Instruments and T-Mobile.
"This is a significant and exciting moment for our members and our industry," Wi-Fi Alliance president and CEO Edgar Figueroa said in announcing the consummation of the agreement. "With 60 GHz efforts concentrated in one organization we have the momentum, technology, and members to deliver on the promise of WiGig technology."
Wi-Fi Alliance said it will continue work begun in WiGig Alliance on features that extend WiGig capabilities beyond baseline connectivity, to address a range of applications from high-definition WiGig Display, to peripheral connectivity and I/O cable replacement.
The associations plan to stage WiGig interoperability testing events throughout 2013 and expect to introduce a baseline interoperability certification program in early 2014.
Wi-Fi Alliance, based in Austin, Texas, is a not-for-profit industry association that initiated its Wi-Fi Certified program in March 2000. To date, the group has certified more than 14,000 products.
The WiGig Alliance was formed in 2008 to establish a unified specification for 60 Gigahertz wireless technologies. Companies represented on its board of directors include Broadcom, Cisco, Dell, Intel Corporation, Marvell International, MediaTek, Microsoft, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic, Qualcomm Atheros, Samsung Electronics, Toshiba and Wilocity.
