Broadcom Selected for Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct Test Suite and Among the First to Obtain Certification

Broadcom is incorporating Wi-Fi Direct across its entire portfolio, including the feature in all of its connectivity, media and mobility products. The company is offering its InConcert(R) Maestro(TM) Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) along with its Wi-Fi-Direct certified devices. This combination will allow simple and easy-to-develop wireless gaming, content sharing, and printing applications. Having the industry's broadest range of Wi-Fi chips with designs in countless product categories including mobile phones, tablets, notebooks/netbooks, Blu-Ray players, gateways, access points/routers, printers, televisions, set-top boxes, games, and portable media players, Broadcom will offer consumers an entire ecosystem of devices that seamlessly connect with one another using Wi-Fi Direct.



Highlights/Key Facts:



* Broadcom is a strong supporter of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Since the launch of 802.11g, Broadcom has been selected to participate in eight Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) client and access point test suites.

* In the past, Wi-Fi devices had to connect first to an access point in order to communicate with other devices in a given network. Wi-Fi direct enables devices to communicate directly with one another without having to interact with an access point. This not only makes communication between devices simpler and faster, but means devices can connect anywhere and anytime.

* No longer is a portable device limited to communications within one single network; it can move easily between networks, establishing one-to-one connections on an as needed basis.

* Broadcom powers the vast majority of cellular handsets that have the 802.11n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED(TM) mark.

* According to ABI Research, 82 million Wi-Fi-enabled portable consumer electronics, 262 million notebooks/netbooks/media tablets and 216 million Wi-Fi enabled handsets are set to ship this year. Combined, these three categories are projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 26 percent from 2009 to 2014.

* Wi-Fi Direct-certified Broadcom drivers for the mobile, media and PC segments enable a full ecosystem of products capable of sharing user generated content amongst one another, without an access point.

o Broadcom includes the InConcert Maestro API as part of the Wi-Fi driver package for its certified Wi-Fi Direct chipsets. The InConcert Maestro API framework offers application developers easy access to Wi-Fi Direct functionality on Broadcom chipsets.

o Developers can now effortlessly write exciting applications that make use of the device-to-device communication mechanisms as defined by the technology tested in Wi-Fi Direct certification.

o The InConcert Maestro API allows OEMs and carriers to offer new and exciting easy-to-use services and consumer applications. For example, with InConcert Maestro and the underlying Wi-Fi Direct mechanisms, friends in a train or on a beach can now discover each other's wireless devices, connect and play a game, chat or exchange files without requiring any other device or network assistance.

* Key Features of Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices include:

o Wi-Fi direct devices communicate directly with one another without a traditional access point. This means devices can connect anywhere, anytime, greatly increasing the number of connection possibilities.

o Portable device communication is no longer constrained to one single network; moving easily between networks, establishing one-to-one and one-to-many connections on the go.

o Legacy compatibility: Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices can form groups with most Wi-Fi CERTIFIED client devices.

o Security protections: Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices have the very latest WPA2(TM) security mechanisms.

o One-to-one connection or a group of several devices can connect simultaneously.

o Ease of use: Wi-Fi Direct devices are easy to use, with Wi-Fi Protected Setup(TM) and support for device and service discovery.

o Wide industry support: Many chipset vendors and device makers developed the specification together within the Wi-Fi Alliance.

o Wi-Fi Direct fully leverages Wi-Fi's advantages: Performance, range, ubiquity, flexibility, etc. Wi-Fi Direct is a software-only protocol, which means there is no need for additional radio, antenna, etc. for device-to-device connectivity.