Wi-Fi Switch Vendor Joins WiMAX Group

Airespace, best known for its wireless LAN management tools, has joined the trade organization supporting WiMAX metropolitan area networking.

In a statement, Airespace said that joining the WiMAX Forum expanded the vendor’s role to make it a “wireless systems” company and not just a wireless LAN vendor.

“WiMAX is a natural extension to the Airespace wireless product portfolio,” Alan Cohen, the company’s vice president of marketing said in a statement.

Airespace provided no information about WiMAX products that it plans to introduce. While Wi-Fi is used within enterprises, WiMAX, which has a theoretical range of about 30 miles, will be deployed by vendors such as wireless ISPs and, potentially, wireless carriers for widespread coverage throughout metropolitan areas.

The first certified WiMAX products are not expected to be available for another year.