Date: 29/04/2011

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED certifications reach 10,000

Wi-Fi Alliance has announced it has granted more than 10,000 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED designations, indicating the level of Wi-Fi adoption in wireless electronics devices. While it took eight years to reach the 5,000-certification milestone, more than 2,000 certifications were given in 2010 alone.

"We are incredibly proud of the real impact and value of our Wi-Fi CERTIFIED program," said Edgar Figueroa, CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance. "Wi-Fi technology was in its infancy just ten years ago. Today Wi-Fi is increasingly enabling new products, new applications and new markets that extend our connectivity and enrich our experience. Wi-Fi certification will remain a fundamental part of our connected experience since we continue to develop numerous new capabilities and applications for Wi-Fi."

ABI Research has reported that annual Wi-Fi shipments grew to 761 million products in 2010 and that the number will reach one billion by the end of 2011. Wi-Fi Alliance certifications grew 62 percent in 2010, the largest year-over-year growth in the history of the program.

The fastest-growing Wi-Fi CERTIFIED product categories were mobile phones and consumer electronics - such as TVs, tablets and gaming devices - which together account for more than half of all certifications. Fittingly, the 10,000th certification was for a LED-LCD TV with Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Protected Setup. The growth trend in certifications is expected to continue as Wi-Fi technology reaches beyond consumer electronics, mobile devices and computing to have a stronger presence in industrial, smart energy, healthcare, automotive and other categories.

"Wi-Fi continues to add value across a wide range of product categories. Easier setup and configuration, has enabled the technology to quickly move to the mainstream," said Victoria Fodale, senior analyst - mobile devices, ABI Research. "Today Wi-Fi can be found in businesses, homes and cities throughout the world, and Wi-Fi certification has been a fundamental enabler of that success story."

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices have passed rigorous tests for interoperability across brands and between legacy generations of Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi certification also mandates support for Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) - the latest and most advanced form of Wi-Fi security. The program helps ensure a good user experience and helps manufacturers and service providers decrease support costs by implementing industry-wide, trusted and tested technology solutions. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED testing is performed at a worldwide network of 14 independent Authorized Test Laboratories located in China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the United States.

A full listing of Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products can be found at http://www.wi-fi.org/search_products.php