NETWORLD+INTEROP,
LAS VEGAS, May 7, 2002—Acer Incorporated today became the first laptop
computer supplier to demonstrate laptops with integrated wireless local area
networking (WLAN) capabilities compatible with the full line of IEEE 802.11
specifications and draft specifications.
Acer teamed with Wistron NeWeb, a leading designer and manufacturer of
advanced wireless communication technology, and Atheros Communications, the
leader in wireless OFDM technology compliant with the 802.11 specifications,
to showcase this next-generation of wireless LAN solutions.
These laptops are being demonstrated at the Atheros
booth (#549) during the NetWorld Interop Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The
demonstration combines a TravelMate 630 notebook from Acer, an embedded Mini
PCI module and dual-band antenna from NeWeb, and a WLAN chipset from Atheros,
all tightly integrated into the laptop case. The solution provides backward
compatibility with 802.11b Wi-Fi compliant devices and access to the new wave
of 802.11a Wi-Fi5 devices, all in one unit.
The WLAN chipset is Atheros Communications’ new
three-chip combo solution supporting the high-performance 802.11a, the 802.11g
draft, and legacy 802.11b wireless specifications. Features include a
comprehensive security suite including a line-speed engine for the Advanced
Encryption Standard (AES), the state-of-the-art encryption scheme selected by
the U.S. National
Institute of Standards and Technology to replace
3DES. An additional component of
the security suite is WEP/TKIP encryption for backward compatibility with
older systems, 802.1x authentication, and support for virtual private networks
(VPNs) and virtual LANs (VLANs). The
VLAN support enables a unified wireless infrastructure that separates
transactions for secure and insecure traffic—separate segments for a
company’s employees and guests, for example.
We believe that laptops
with combo WLAN capability will see great success,” said Rich Redelfs,
president and chief executive officer for Atheros.
“The combination of an industry-leading laptop, a fully integrated
dual-band antenna, and .11a and .11b wireless capability will make this a top
choice for mobile workers.”
The Atheros SmartSelectTM
technology lets laptop users connect transparently to 802.11a, 802.11b, or draft
802.11g networks, including support for the 108-Mbps Atheros Turbo ModeTM.
SmartSelect automatically chooses the optimal radio-frequency specification
(a/g/b), data rate, error correction method, power management features, and
security protocol for the available wireless network. SmartSelect then dynamically adapts to changing conditions as
the user roams within that network.
“The availability of a
combination 802.11a/g/b solution is as significant to the wireless LAN industry
as the merging of 10/100 Ethernet,” said Steve Hwang, chief operating officer
of Wistron NeWeb. “With
Atheros’ help and support, NeWeb is able to provide a total dual-band wireless
solution to our most important PC customers and leverage our antenna technology
to capture an early time-to-market lead,” commented Johnson Hou, director of
NeWeb’s US operation. “We are
proud to be working with Acer and supporting their mobile customers
world-wide.”
Acer’s
TravelMate 630 notebooks incorporate the new Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4
Processor-M and DDR memory, utilizing a PC-processor 400 MHz processor system
bus. Providing up to 4.5 hours of
battery life and weighing less than 6 pounds, the TravelMate 630 delivers an
effective combination of solid performance and excellent portability.
“We are happy to
be working with NeWeb and Atheros in providing Acer’s business customers the
next generation of wireless LAN solutions,” said Campbell Kan, senior director
of Acer. “Users have the choice
of connecting via high-performance 802.11a in the office or via legacy 802.11b,
without security concerns.”
Established in 1976, Acer is among the world’s
top 10 branded PC vendors. Acer employs marketing and service operations across
Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, supporting dealers and
distributors in over 100 nations. In addition to offering a broad spectrum of IT
services, Acer is also a leading innovator of e-business, providing MegaMicro
e-enabling solutions that combine IT products with a range of Micro services
delivered via Acer’s Mega infrastructure. For more information about Acer,
please visit our web site at www.acer.com.
Wistron NeWeb Corporation (WNC), a member of Acer
group, is a designer and manufacturer specializing in the field of advanced
wireless communication. Founded in 1996, WNC has consistently introduced
customers to the latest communication-enabling technologies. The company was
created to research and develop new wireless communication products. Information
about NeWeb and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at
www.wneweb.com.
Atheros Communications is the leading developer of networking technologies for secure, high-performance wireless local area networks. As the industry innovator and market-share leader in wireless OFDM technology compliant with the IEEE 802.11 specifications, Atheros is driving transparent connections among electronic devices in the office, home and on the road. Atheros technology is being used by many of the world's leading wireless equipment manufacturers including Accton, Actiontec, ALPS Electric, Intel, Intermec, Netgear, Philips, Proxim, SMC Networks, Sony, TDK, UltraDevices and others. For more information, visit
www.atheros.com or send email to info@atheros.com. Acer
and TravelMate are trademarks of Acer Incorporated. Atheros, SmartSelect,
Atheros Turbo Mode and the Atheros logo are trademarks of Atheros
Communications, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Cheryl Patstone, 408-773-5344, cheryl@atheros.com
or Greg Wood, A&R Partners, 650-762-2838, gwood@arpartners.com.
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