USB-IF Launches Certification and Compliance Program for Certified Wireless USB Products

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) today announced the availability of the Certified Wireless USB Compliance and Certification Program. This program is the only way for manufacturers to achieve certification and qualify to use the Certified Wireless USB logo, by testing their products directly against the Wireless USB specification requirements.

“Ensuring that products interoperate and are compliant with the specification is critical when introducing a new technology to the consumer,” said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF president and chairman. “The USB-IF developed the Certified Wireless USB Compliance and Certification Program to provide the necessary testing tools for manufacturers to deliver high-quality interoperable products before the end of the year.”

Based on the six-year success of the USB 2.0 Compliance Program, the USB-IF designed the Certified Wireless USB Compliance and Certification Program to complement the specification and measure compliance and interoperability between production-ready products. The USB-IF offers well-documented test specs and procedures, available online at http://www.usb.org/developers/wusb/, to assist manufacturers in their preparations for submitting products ready for official certification.

The program is a benefit extended to companies that wish to achieve certification and to license and use the branded Certified Wireless USB logo. After a thorough review of the test specs and self tests available online, products are scheduled for official testing at the approved Certified Wireless USB testing facility. Products that pass this level of verification are then added to an Integrators List of certified products, which is also available online. The Integrators List is the central reference guide for the industry, which will enable manufacturers to view Certified Wireless USB components that have met the USB-IF Certification and Compliance Program criteria. Companies with certified products can then license rights to use the Certified Wireless USB logo, which is promoted by the USB-IF to communicate the value interoperability and certification brings to the consumer.

Initially, Certified Wireless USB compliance testing will be hosted at Intel’s Wireless USB Platform Integration Lab. As production volume increases in 2007, the USB-IF plans to host formal Compliance Workshops, where companies will have the opportunity to test interoperability between multiple products from different manufacturers.

About Certified Wireless USB

Certified Wireless USB is the first high-speed wireless personal interconnect technology combining the speed and security of wired Hi-Speed USB with the ease-of-use-of wireless technology. It is backward compatible with wired USB, allows users to connect up to 127 devices and delivers a bandwidth of up to 480Mb/s at 3 meters and 110Mb/s at 10 meters. Certified Wireless USB is based on the WiMedia Alliance Ultra-wideband Common Radio Platform.

The Wireless USB Promoter Group, consisting of seven companies — Agere Systems, Hewlett Packard, Intel, Microsoft, NEC, Philips Semiconductors and Samsung — defined the core Certified Wireless USB specification with the support of more than 100 contributor members. The group has now transitioned the specification’s management to the USB-IF, the supporting governing body of USB specifications. If a company intends to build and ship a product based on the Certified Wireless USB specification and wants to obtain a license, it should become an adopter member of the organization and license the logo. Download the adopter agreement and the license agreement by visiting: http://www.usb.org/wusb/.

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