Proxim Introduces World’s Smallest, High-Performance Wireless LAN Design-in Module
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — April 28, 1997 — Proxim, Inc., (NASDAQ:PROX) (Interop booth No. 1441) a leading supplier of radio frequency (RF) wireless data communications products, announced today the world's smallest, lightest, high-performance wireless local area networking (LAN) module.
The Proxim RangeLAN2 6330 Micro Design-in Module is the first device that allows high-performance wireless LAN communications to be embedded into the new class of small handheld PCs and terminals and wearable computing devices.
Thirty-percent smaller than a business card, the RangeLAN2 6330 is only 1.65 inches wide, 2.65 inches long and .23 inches thick and weighs just .7 ounces. The product is less than one-half the size of any product in its class and consumes significantly less battery power, making it the only device capable of providing high-speed wireless communications to the industry's smallest portable computing devices. Wireless local area networking allows portable devices to link to servers, databases, e-mail, the internet, printers and other resources on a wired network.
The RangeLAN2 6330 provides a common ISA electrical interface for easy, lower cost integration into portable devices. The module has already been selected for integration into several new-generation portable devices that require wireless LAN communications. The products that benefit from the 6330 include Windows CE handheld PCs, palmtop pen computing products, small handheld data collection terminals and wearable computing devices. The portable devices are targeted at a wide range of mobile applications in offices, healthcare, manufacturing, warehousing, retailing, hospitality and financial exchanges.
"With more than 20 million portable computers and handheld devices being used in the U.S. today, the mobile paradigm of anytime, anywhere information processing comes closer to reality," said Phillip Redman, an analyst with the Yankee Group in Boston, Massachusetts. "Proxim's wireless data products meet the most important criteria including light weight, low power consumption, high speed, interoperability, and low cost which will drive the local area wireless connectivity market. Proxim continues to meet the challenges for wireless connectivity by providing manufacturers the opportunity to incorporate wireless in their mobile products."
"As handheld PCs and other small computers become mainstream, the demand for correspondingly small wireless LAN devices is going to be significant," said Craig Mathias, a principal with Farpoint Group, an advisory firm in Ashland, Massachusetts. "I am looking forward to seeing essentially every mobile computer and lightweight client equipped with wireless LAN connectivity."
Operating at 1.6 megabits per second (Mbps), RangeLAN2 6330 is the world's fastest miniature design-in module, providing data transmission rates more than 50 times faster than the line speed of a typical 28.8 Kbps modem. Depending on the antenna used with the 6330, the module's range extends 1000 feet or more in open space. Portable devices that integrate the RangeLAN2 6330 can communicate with standard Ethernet networks through Proxim access point products, allowing users to roam freely while accessing all resources attached to the network at a high speed. The access points are a bridge between the wireless computing devices and the wired LAN.
"Putting high-speed wireless connectivity into very small mobile computing devices has been hindered to date by the size, weight and power consumption of available wireless LAN products," said Brian Button, vice president of Marketing and Sales at Proxim. "The RangeLAN2 6330 leaps far ahead of existing wireless local area networking technology, providing the fastest, smallest and most power efficient module available. This achievement makes high-speed wireless practical for new generations of portable and handheld computing devices." Wide Range of Compatible Devices The new RangeLAN2 6330 is fully compatible with Proxim's existing RangeLAN2 PC Card and ISA adapters, access points and design-in modules. Additionally, the new product is fully compliant with the Wireless LAN Interoperability Forum (WLI Forum) specification. Any device with an integrated RangeLAN2 6330 module will be compatible with other WLI Forum-compliant devices, which include the largest group of interoperable wireless portable computing devices available today.
RangeLAN2 products support major standard operating systems, including Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows and DOS. The access points connect seamlessly to standard Ethernet networks including TCP/IP, Novell NetWare, Artisoft Lantastic, Banyan Vines, Microsoft Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT. RangeLAN2 Technology Proxim's RangeLAN2 products operate in the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) frequency band and utilize frequency hopping spread spectrum RF technology, which is both highly secure and exceptionally immune to interference. The products are designed to provide the industry's best combination of features for mobile networking applications, including high speed, long range, low power consumption, network scalability and advanced network management.
RangeLAN2 products operate at a data rate of 1.6 Mbps per channel with 15 available channels, allowing users to implement up to 15 separate networks in the same physical space. This design provides increased aggregate bandwidth to support a growing user population. Proxim's RangeLAN2 technology is based on a microcellular architecture that provides high-speed seamless roaming between access points, keeping mobile users connected to the network as they move around their building or campus environment.
In the past year, RangeLAN2 products were awarded Editors' Choice in PC Magazine's comprehensive review of wireless LAN products, LAN Magazine's 1996 Wireless Networking Product of the Year and INFOWORLD's Top LAN Connectivity Product of 1996. Proxim OEM Integration Engineering Services Proxim's OEM Integration Engineering Services organization is a technical services group that helps OEM customers integrate wireless LAN technology into their mobile computing platforms and other wireless peripheral devices. By leveraging Proxim's technical experience in RF design and integration, OEM customers gain an advantage in accelerating time to market for their products. The group provides hardware, software and radio engineering expertise as well as worldwide product certification assistance. Pricing and Availability The RangeLAN2 6330 Micro Design-in Module is available immediately for evaluation or integration with pricing from $ 300 to $ 350 for OEM volumes, and pricing below $ 300 for very large quantities. A Developer's Kit is available for $ 4,995 and is a complete package that provides everything needed to quickly establish a two-node network and begin an integration project, including hardware, software, documentation and support. About Proxim
Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., Proxim, Inc., (NASDAQ: PROX) is the industry's leading OEM supplier of spread spectrum wireless data networking products. With the introduction of its RangeLAN2 product family in 1994, Proxim was first to market with 2.4 GHz frequency hopping wireless LAN technology. Since that time, RangeLAN2 technology has been selected by more than 50 wireless solution providers worldwide including AMP, Data General, Fujitsu, HBO & Company, Intermec, LXE, Matsushita, NTT, Norand and Toshiba. Proxim's World Wide Web site is located at http://www.proxim.com .
Note to Editors: All products and company names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
CONTACT:
Proxim, Inc.
Dan Toporek, 415/526-3652
[email protected]