Wi-Fi® Brands Take Center Stage in Marketing and Advertising

AUSTIN, TX – June 11, 2007 – The Wi-Fi Allianceannounced the recipients of its second-annual WIFFIES Awards at its San Francisco membermeeting. The awards recognize membercompanies for innovative use of the Wi-Fi Alliance brands in six marketingcategories. Judges for the awards were instructed to review the use of theWi-Fi Alliance and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logos, as well as promotion of the Wi-Fiindustry through use of terminology such as Wi-Fi.

WIFFIESrecipients in each category were:

Print Advertising:

  • Silver: SpectecComputer Co, Ltd.
  • Bronze: EarthLink,Inc.; Nokia
  • Honorable Mention: France Telecom;Nanoradio AB; Seiko Epson

Collateral:

  • Gold: Motorola,Inc.
  • Silver: EastmanKodak

Online:

  • Gold: Apple
  • Silver: TroposNetworks Inc.
  • Bronze: EarthLink Inc.; Nanoradio AB; SeikoEpson

On-Product Display:

  • Gold: SpectecComputer Co. Ltd.
  • Silver: SamsungElectronics

Product Packaging:

  • Gold: EastmanKodak Company
  • Silver: Motorola,Inc.
  • Honorable Mention: SeikoEpson

Point of Sale /Retail:

  • Gold: EarthLink,Inc.
  • Honorable Mention: BTOpenzone

Integrated Campaign:

  • Gold: EarthLink,Inc,
  • Bronze: Seiko Epson; Azimuth Systems; SonyElectronics
  • Honorable Mention: BTOpenzone; Atheros Communications


"Wi-Ficontinues to be increasingly important to consumers and enterprise users alike,and member companies' prominent use of our brands has contributed to theongoing momentum," said Karen Hanley,Wi-Fi Alliance senior director of marketing and membership. "Wecongratulate all of the award winners for their great work promotingWi-Fi."

As Wi-Fiproliferates beyond PCs into a wide range of consumer electronics and phones,Wi-Fi has become an object of strong user affinity. Recent research from Wi-Fi Alliance andKelton Research indicates that about 80% of Wi-Fi users deem the technologymore essential than coffee, more important than a home telephone, and moredesirable than an iPod. Moreover,consumers have indicated that the independent product interoperabilityindicator of Wi-Fi CERIFIED plays an important role in the purchase decision(Wi-Fi Alliance, Sentient Services survey, 2006). Wi-Fi Alliance's more than 300 membercompanies have helped fuel this passion for Wi-Fi with the inclusion of Wi-Fisignage in marketing and packaging materials in support of innovative, qualityWi-Fi-enabled products.

The WIFFIESwinners were selected by judges Paul Miller, group president, CMP TechnologyInnovators Group, Bob Angus, president of A&R Edelman and chair of EdelmanGlobal Technology, and Karen Hanley,Wi-Fi Alliance senior director of marketing and membership. To learn more aboutthe WIFFIES and see materials from the winning campaigns, visit www.wi-fi.org/wiffie_awards.php.


About the Wi-Fi Alliance
TheWi-Fi Alliance is a global, non-profit industry association ofmore than 300 member companies devoted to promoting the growth ofwireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). With the aim of enhancing the userexperience for mobile wireless devices, the Wi-Fi Alliance's testing andcertification programs ensure the interoperability of WLAN products based onthe IEEE 802.11 specification. Since the introduction of the Wi-FiAlliance's certification program in March 2000, more than 3,400products have been designated as Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™, encouraging theexpanded use of Wi-Fi products and services across the consumer and enterprisemarkets. Apple,Broadcom, Cisco, Conexant, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, Sony, andTexas Instruments serve as Sponsor members of the Alliance.

 

Media contact: Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance, Michael Diamond,Michael.diamond@edelman.com, 650-429-2772.