Austin, Texas, Feb. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This year marks a significant milestone in the history of technological innovation as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of Wi-Fi®, one of technology’s greatest success stories which has revolutionized the interactions essential to both humans and machines.
In 1999, Wi-Fi Alliance® – formerly known as Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA) – embarked upon an ambitious journey to promote global adoption of standardized Wi-Fi technology. One of the key first steps was the certification of products that adhered to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard to ensure multi-vendor interoperability and give users the confidence essential to accelerating Wi-Fi adoption. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED® has since enabled worldwide interoperability and a robust Wi-Fi device ecosystem that is integral in our daily lives.
Wi-Fi has transformed the way we work, live, and play. It has empowered countless innovations across industries and applications – from devices and services to entire market segments like Internet of Things (IoT), smart homes, and Extended Reality (XR). There are more than 21 billion Wi-Fi devices in use today1, and Wi-Fi is ubiquitous in smartphones and tablets, provides critical connectivity for homes, enterprises, and service providers, and pushes the boundaries of wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi has done more than ever imagined including serving as an engine of economic growth and societal progress.
“Wi-Fi has had a profound impact on our world,” said Kevin Robinson, president and CEO, Wi-Fi Alliance. “Wi-Fi has transcended its initial role as a local networking tool to become a catalyst for equal opportunity innovation and human progress, connecting people, devices, networks, and ideas like never before. We invite the Wi-Fi industry to join us in celebrating this remarkable milestone this year."
Over the past quarter-century, Wi-Fi has evolved and expanded, with advancements in performance, range, reliability, and security. Today, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7™ enables advanced use cases that were previously impractical with wireless technology, and Wi-Fi Alliance is as committed as ever to delivering solutions and features that enrich global Wi-Fi user experiences.
Wi-Fi Alliance will celebrate Wi-Fi’s 25th anniversary throughout 2024, reflecting on its humble beginnings to its status as a cornerstone of modern connectivity, moving the majority of global data traffic. Join us in celebrating 25 years of Wi-Fi at our member meetings and on social media by downloading our digital assets. #WeAreWiFi
About Wi-Fi Alliance® | www.wi-fi.org
Wi-Fi Alliance® is the worldwide network of companies that brings you Wi-Fi®. Members of our collaboration forum come together from across the Wi-Fi ecosystem with the shared vision to connect everyone and everything, everywhere, while providing the best possible user experience. Since 2000, Wi-Fi Alliance has completed more than 80,000 Wi-Fi certifications. The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ seal of approval designates products with proven interoperability, backward compatibility, and the highest industry-standard security protections in place. Today, Wi-Fi carries more than half of the Internet’s traffic in an ever-expanding variety of applications. Wi-Fi Alliance continues to drive the adoption and evolution of Wi-Fi, which billions of people rely on every day.
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wi-fi.org/beacon
wi-fi.org/signal
facebook.com/wificertified
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linkedin.com/company/wi-fi-alliance
youtube.com/wifialliance
Media Contact:
Highwire PR for Wi-Fi Alliance
wi-fi@highwirepr.com
1 IDC, Worldwide Wi-Fi Technology Forecast, January 2024
