Wi-Fi, WiGig finalize unification

Wi-Fi Alliance and the Wireless Gigabit (WiGig) Alliance have finalized the agreement defining consolidation of WiGig technology and certification development in Wi-Fi Alliance. According to a press release, this milestone marks the successful completion of the process initiated when the groups announced a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2012, and is the culmination of two years of collaboration between the organizations.

“This is a significant and exciting moment for our members and our industry,” said Wi-Fi Alliance president and CEO Edgar Figueroa. “With 60 GHz efforts concentrated in one organization we have the momentum, technology, and members to deliver on the promise of WiGig technology.”

Wi-Fi Alliance says it will continue the work begun in WiGig Alliance on features that extend WiGig capabilities beyond baseline connectivity, to address a range of applications from high-definition WiGig Display, to peripheral connectivity and I/O cable replacement.

Related: WiGig coattails on 802.11ad, Wi-Fi

Consolidation of the activities in Wi-Fi Alliance will deliver closely-harmonized connectivity and application-layer solutions using WiGig technology. Shortly after the groups announced plans to integrate, members of both organizations conducted the third WiGig interoperability testing event. These events will continue throughout the year and lead to the baseline interoperability certification program in early 2014.

According to the now-combined Alliances, WiGig technology has continued to gain momentum, and will soon bring users closer to a future of seamless wireless connectivity, with WiGig solutions expanding on traditional Wi-Fi usages. Early 60 GHz implementations based on the WiGig specifications are entering the market now, and ABI Research forecasts that by 2016, annual shipments of devices with both Wi-Fi and WiGig technology will reach 1.8 billion.