AUSTIN, TEXAS - April 16, 2007 - The Wi-Fi Alliance has taken the guesswork out ofbuying Wi-Fi gear with a free white paper and new product search capabilitieson its Web site, www.wi-fi.org. The paper targets retailers interested inlearning more about the benefits of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products, which include lowerreturn rates and fewer tech support calls. In addition, the improved online search tool for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED productinformation helps consumers research Wi-Fi products before they head to theretail store or Web site.
The white paper,entitled "Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Makes it Wi-Fi: What Retailers and Consumers Need toKnow," provides easy-to-use information about Wi-Fi technology and thecertification programs in place to support it. Retailers who offer Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products can be confident that theircustomers are taking home products that have been thoroughly tested forinteroperability with other Wi-Fi CERTIFIED gear, and that those products willprovide the very best user experience.
"Wi-FiCERTIFIED provides an important third-party product endorsement that eases thesales process in the retail channel," said Monica Paolini of Senza Filiconsulting. "Retailers can point to theWi-Fi CERTIFIED designation as an independent indicator that a product will deliverthe user experience their customers demand."
ResearchingWi-Fi gear online at www.wi-fi.org is noweasier and more useful as well. A newsearch interface and product details launched today provides consumers with aquick way to find a list of the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED gear they want - from more than3,300 certified products as diverse as digital cameras, to laptops, toconverged mobile phones.
"Werecommend that consumers always use our product search tool as an importantfirst step in the Wi-Fi purchase process," said Wi-Fi Alliance managingdirector Frank Hanzlik. "The new searchinterface makes it easy to find a list of tested products that meet the user'srequirements quickly and easily. Withthe emergence of next-generation draft 802.11n equipment and an upcomingprogram to test this gear, choosing Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products is as important asever."
The newproduct search tool and white paper are available at www.wi-fi.org.
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.
Mediacontact: Edelman for Wi-Fi Alliance: Michael Diamond,michael.diamond@edelman.com, +1 (650) 429-2772.