Agreement on multi-gigabit WiFi

The WiFi Alliance and the Wireless Gigabit Alliance are to co-operate on a certification programme for 60GHz WiFi, in a move that could boost the development of next-generation wireless technologies, reports Computing.co.uk.

60GHz wireless will allow devices to run at gigabit speeds, and the agreement is designed to encourage the development of products with this capability.

Phil Solis, practice director for wireless connectivity at ABI Research, believes the agreement is important for the industry.

According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), US agencies targeting the sale of counterfeit networking hardware have gotten 30 felony convictions, including a man attempting to sell fake networking equipment to the US Marine Corps, and seized $143 million worth of fake Cisco hardware, says PC World.

The DOJ, US Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and US Customs and Border Protection have conducted Operation Network Raider, which has made 700 separate seizures of networking equipment since 2005, the DOJ said.

In addition to the convictions and seizures, nine people are facing trial and another eight defendants are awaiting sentencing, the agencies said.

Wireless LAN vendor Aruba Networks is to spend up to $40 million to acquire outdoor mesh network specialist Azalea Networks, states V3.co.uk.

Aruba has agreed a buyout worth $27 million in stock and up to $13.5 million in cash, to be paid over the next two years. The acquisition is subject to closing conditions and Aruba expects to close the deal during its first fiscal quarter, which begins on 1 August.

Mesh networking allows each node in a network to behave as a router. Aruba's chief operating officer, Hitesh Sheth, claimed the technology would allow end-users to take advantage of high-end applications.