Symbol Technologies today announced an IEEE802.11b wireless LAN radio in the Compact Flash (CF) form factor. Symbol demonstrated its Spectrum24 High Rate Compact Flash wireless LAN adapter on popular Microsoft Windows Powered Pocket PCs - the Casio CASSIOPEIA, Compaq iPAQ, HP Jornada - at the Las Vegas NetWorld+Interop 2001 trade show.
Symbol's Spectrum24 Compact Flash card employs advanced power management and throughput performance giving 11mbps wireless connectivity to power conscious Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). The new 802.11b wireless LAN adapter includes Symbol's new wireless LAN firmware that features advanced security features for uninterrupted roaming and mobile security. The Spectrum24 CF card was specifically designed to fit into PDAs or embedded into application specific mobile computing devices.
"This is a great step for mobility in the enterprise because Symbol's 802.11b Compact Flash card will bring the wireless Internet to the growing installed base of users of Windows CE and PocketPC," said Phil Holden, director of marketing for the Mobile Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. "We are happy that Symbol has also provided an advanced wireless LAN security mechanism designed for handheld devices."
"The Compact Flash addition to Symbol's Spectrum24 wireless LAN family provides our customers with several ways to achieve mobility and wirelessly connect to the enterprise network," said Tomo Razmilovic, President and CEO, Symbol Technologies, Inc. "The market for wireless mobile computing products continues to expand and we foresee significant opportunities with this new wireless product."
While the market for 802.11b wireless LANs continues to grow, so does the appetite for PDAs, according to recent IDC reports, "Unwiring the Network" and "The Battle at Hand". IDC expects the worldwide wireless LAN market radio products which operate on the ISM 2.4GHtz frequency band to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41.0%, reaching approximately 21.9 million unit shipments in 2005. For "Personal Companions" Palm, Win CE, Pocket PCs, RIM, and Symbian-based devices IDC expects a CAGR of 38.1% growth rate through 2004, with 33.6 million unit shipments worldwide in 2004.
"Using 802.11b wireless LAN technology with Personal Companions for enterprise and local area connectivity will contribute to device growth as mobile users find utility in staying connected," said Kevin Burden, Program Manager, Smart Handheld Devices, IDC. "Connecting with a Compact Flash radio card is a logical step for the knowledge worker, especially, as the installed base of WiFi wireless LANs continues to penetrate corporations, universities, airports and other public space locations."
"With WiFi wireless LANs being widely adopted in the enterprise and WiFi 'hot spots' now springing up in hotels, airports, and soon even Starbucks, iPAQ Pocket PC users can stay connected in the office, on the road, and eventually, in the home," said Cindy Box, Director of Marketing, iPAQ Mobile Solutions. "Adding secure 802.11b wireless connectivity with a CF radio card is yet another example of how Symbol is developing products for greater mobility."
"Symbol's new wireless LAN adapter accessory offers HP Jornada pocket PC users another way to wirelessly check email, surf the Web and connect to enterprise networks," said Boris Elisman, worldwide marketing manager, HP Embedded and Personal Systems. "This product innovation will allow mobile consumers to conveniently access the Internet from many locations.
"Our complete line of portable computing products for the enterprise features integrated support for compact flash peripherals devices. The availability of an 802.11b compact flash radio will allow our customers the ultimate flexibility in deploying wireless devices throughout their organizations", said Todd Weissman, vice president of Casio's Mobile Information Products Division. "We congratulate Symbol on this technology achievement."
Symbol's 802.11b CF radio card is designed for use in mobile devices running today's leading handheld operating systems Windows CE, Pocket PC, and Palm. The product will initially support Windows CE 2.11, and Pocket PC, with subsequent firmware releases supporting the Palm OS. The Spectrum24 High Rate CF card comes in two form factors: with an integrated antenna for Type I CF extend slots in PDAs and an external antenna connecter for embedded device designs. Both form factors feature dynamic rate scaling from 11Mbps, to 5.5Mbps, 2Mbps and 1Mbps, for optimum wireless connectivity during higher traffic sessions. The product has been designed to meet WiFi certification requirements for interoperability. The product will be available to order in the summer 2001.
Symbol Technologies provides secure mobile information systems that integrate application-specific hand-held computers with wireless networks for data and voice and bar code data capture.