last month offered some hope, signaling that leading Wi-Fi chip vendors and some computer and consumer OEMs may be finally ready to agree on a spec. The group, targeting a broad range of wireless applications ranging from home nets to mobile phones, is working on a specification for 60 GHz networking at rates up to 6 Gbits/second.
For those who want to believe, the WiGig Alliance sounds like a savior.
With charter members like Atheros, Broadcom, Dell, Intel, LG Electronics, Marvell, Microsoft, Mediatek, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic, Samsung and Wilocity, the WiGig Alliance could reduce the risks and uncertainty out of the equation, thereby easing the concerns of hesitant consumer electronics companies. Typically, these companies hate depending on a single chip supplier, especially a startup.
Moreover, WiGig's formation represents a big threat to proprietary wireless video technology suppliers.
The word in the industry these days, according to my colleague Rick Merritt, is that "Wi-Fi at 11n and the 60 GHz follow-on will do whatever UWB, 60 GHz and proprietary approaches were trying to do and do it cheaper." Merritt also observed, "I think days may be numbered for Amimon, Celano, and even SiBeam."
Are their days really numbered?
Nissan-Cohen told me, "WiGig is not competing with us. We see it as an interesting opportunity."
Translation: The WiGig Alliance shouldn't be taken lightly, and Amimon needs to find a way to be a part of it.
I wonder what, if any, progress Amimon is actually making with WiGig Alliance members. Mark Grodzinsky, chairman of WiGig Alliance Marketing Working Group, reached earlier this week, revealed little.
