November 13, 2001
Proxim, Inc. (Nasdaq:PROX), the leader in wireless broadband networking, today announced Skyline(TM) 802.11a, a family of high-performance wireless products designed to deliver the features small businesses and schools require, without added complexity and cost. The new Skyline 802.11a CardBus Card and Access Point are fully compliant with the IEEE 802.11a standard and also feature Proxim's 2X(TM) mode, which enables connection speeds up to 108 Mbps. These speeds make it possible for small organizations to leverage a wireless network to share large files, such as presentations and graphics, utilize high-quality multimedia content, and collaborate over a wireless network at wired network speeds.
"Skyline 802.11a offers small businesses and schools the same high-speed, high-capacity wireless networking capabilities available to large enterprises, specifically tailored to meet the needs of smaller organizations," said Ken Haase, director of Product Marketing for Proxim. "By removing speed and bandwidth constraints, every size company can now enjoy the freedom of wireless networking without having to limit users' productivity."
Small businesses require similar high-performance, secure wireless networking capabilities as larger enterprises. However, smaller organizations typically require a specialized set of features that do not add cost and complexity, especially since they may lack a dedicated IT staff. Skyline 802.11a products support the highest level of encryption available for secure communication, and provide greater performance at any range than an 802.11b network. In addition, the Skyline 802.11a product family comes with software that simplifies configuration and network management.
Skyline 802.11a products are not affected by interference from devices often found in small offices, such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth(TM) devices and nearby 802.11b wireless LANs, since Skyline 802.11a operates in the 5 GHz band. Additionally, Skyline 802.11a products support eight non-overlapping channels, which provides increased bandwidth for a greater number of users.
The Proxim Skyline 802.11a CardBus Card is an 802.11a-compliant adapter for Windows notebook computers running Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, or Windows XP. Macintosh support is planned for the first quarter of 2002. The Proxim Skyline 802.11a Access Point is designed to extend existing Fast Ethernet networks by providing high-speed wireless access to company data and services.
Proxim's Skyline 802.11a family of products is based on the industry leading AR5000 wireless LAN chipset from Atheros Communications. "The unprecedented wireless networking speeds of 802.11a technology provide significant productivity advantages," said Mark Bercow, Atheros vice president of Marketing. "We are pleased to be working with Proxim on solutions that bring these benefits to small businesses and schools."
Pricing and Availability
The Skyline 802.11a CardBus Card and Access Point will be available in December at list prices of $179 and $449 respectively.
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