Intel And Linksys To Improve The Wireless Broadband Experience For Home And Small Office Users
Intel Corporation and Linksys®, a division of Cisco Systems, Inc., today established a technology and marketing program
to improve the experience of setting up and operating wireless networks in homes and small offices using Linksys
wireless routers and access points and Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology.
The program includes joint engineering and co-marketing work. Initially, Intel is conducting engineering testing or
“verification” of Intel Centrino mobile technology with Linksys wireless access points and routers that are currently
available.
This process tests compatibility between these devices, further enhancing the end user’s Intel Centrino mobile
technology wireless experience. The verified Linksys products will be identified with a label reading “Verified with
Intel Centrino Mobile Technology” on the packaging to help inform consumers that the Intel and Linksys products have
been tested to work together. The verification effort is under way, and verified Linksys products will be available
starting this month at retail locations in the United States, Canada and other countries.
Intel and Linksys have also committed to work on new ways to maximise wireless performance and enhance wireless
connectivity as part of the program. This includes plans to develop technology that will allow notebook PCs based on
Intel Centrino mobile technology to detect the presence of Linksys wireless products and configure them with minimal
effort by the end user. Today, notebook PCs are manually configured to interact with a wireless network. Work is under
way to enable Intel and Linksys products with the advanced configuration technology in 2004.
“The rapid adoption of Intel Centrino mobile technology shows that mobile users support Intel's vision of mobile
computing and faster, simpler access to the Internet,” said Paul Otellini, Intel president and chief operating officer.
“Intel Centrino mobile technology and Linksys wireless products are a powerful combination in the effort to broaden the
use of wireless broadband.”
“I truly believe that partnerships are one of the keys to the future success of the networking industry — benefiting not
just partner companies, but the end customer with quicker access to technologies, greater innovation and ease of use,”
said John Chambers, Cisco president and chief executive officer.
“The combination of Intel, Linksys and Cisco technologies helps to fuel wireless adoption in the home and enterprise
markets, which are major areas of growth for the industry.”
Representing Intel's best technology for mobile PCs, Intel Centrino mobile technology includes a new mobile processor,
related chipsets and integrated 802.11 wireless capabilities that have been optimised, tested and validated to work
together. Intel has already verified Intel Centrino mobile technology interoperability with service providers whose
networks support thousands of public wireless LAN “hot spots” worldwide. Linksys wireless access points and routers
deliver seamless, trouble-free wireless broadband connectivity in home or small business environments using wireless LAN
(802.11 a, b and g) technology.
Since January, Linksys and Intel have announced several joint development projects on wireless products using Intel’s
IXP4xxx family of network processors featuring Intel® XScale™ architecture. Linksys and Intel have committed their
relationship to broaden innovative wireless offerings, while improving the user experience for home and small office
users.
About Intel Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and
communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom.