4.30.2004

The Austin American-Statesman reports that four Austin parks will have wireless Internet service – first Republic Square and Auditorium Shores, and later Brush Square and Wooldridge Square. Wireless service for the parks will be managed by the Austin Wireless City project.

"Why not get people out of their offices and into parks, where it is a little more of a pleasing setting?" said Jay Stone, acting assistant director of the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. "It just goes along with the whole city feel."

posted by jon lebkowsky on 5:16 PM | ~permalink~

4.23.2004

AUSTIN, Texas – April 23, 2004 –The Wi-Fi Alliance, the worldwide certification body for wireless products bearing the Wi-Fi trademark, today announced that it has relocated its headquarters from Mountain View, California, to Austin, Texas, and has officially joined the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) at the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. The organization’s move to Austin reinforces the growing momentum that the wireless industry has seen in the Austin area over the past year.

A recent study by the IC2 Institute identified over 90 companies in Austin involved in the wireless sector. More than $50 million in venture capital has been invested in wireless related companies in Austin over the last six months. The Wi-Fi Alliance's selection of ATI for its headquarters bolsters its critical mass which ATI is building in order to catalyze the growth of wireless industries in Austin. ATI houses five wireless companies and is recruiting new ones.

“The synergies that are created at ATI by bringing together entrepreneurs, established firms in the wireless sector, research, faculty, and students from the University of Texas, the city government, and chamber of commerce are exactly what Austin needs to be successful,” said Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance. “As a member of the ATI, the Wi-Fi Alliance is committed to actively helping make young wireless companies successful.”

ATI membership is open to a wide variety of entrepreneurial companies. In the wireless sector, companies focusing on wireless semiconductor and infrastructure technology, mobile gaming and entertainment, and wireless data applications will benefit greatly from ATI.

“We are actively pursuing the brightest and most proven entrepreneurs in Austin that are seeking to create companies that deliver products or services that leverage wireless technology,” said Erin Defosse, director of the information technology and wireless division at ATI. “By collocating with organizations like the Wi-Fi Alliance, these entrepreneurs have unprecedented access to the right network of people with highly valuable know-how and connections in the wireless industry. The Wi-Fi Alliance adds exceptional value by bringing to Austin a network of people that form part of the biggest and most successful wireless companies in the industry.”

About Austin Technology Incubator

The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) brings together valuable business, government and academic resources to catalyze business development in the technology industry. ATI's mission is to help promising early stage technology ventures succeed by helping them solidify their business plan, recruit management, secure adequate financing, and acquire reference customers. ATI currently operates as a non-profit incubator and is a program of the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. For more information about the ATI please visit http://ati.ic2.org

About Wi-Fi Alliance

The Wi-Fi Alliance (formerly WECA) is the global Wi-Fi organization that created the Wi-Fi brand. A nonprofit organization, the Alliance was formed in 1999 to certify interoperability of IEEE 802.11 products and to promote them as the global, wireless LAN standard across all market segments.

The Wi-Fi Alliance has instituted a test suite that defines how member products are tested to certify that they are interoperable with other Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products. These tests are conducted at an independent laboratory.

Membership in the Wi-Fi Alliance is open to all companies that support the IEEE 802.11 family of standards. The Wi-Fi Alliance now comprises over 200 members from the world’s leading companies. These companies offer over 1,250 Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products. For more information, please visit www.wi-fi.org, and for information on Wi-Fi ZONE™ public access locations go to www.wi-fizone.org.

posted by jon lebkowsky on 3:38 PM | ~permalink~