Intel Continues WLAN Push

Intel on Monday announced support for four wireless technology startups through its Intel Communications Fund.

Intel Corp. on Monday announced support for four wireless technology startups through its Intel Communications Fund. The Santa Clara, Calif., company said that since the beginning of the year it has funded the following companies: Vivato Inc., of San Francisco, which makes wireless LAN switches; Broadreach Networks Ltd., of London, which provides public Internet access services; Pronto Networks Inc., of Pleasanton, Calif., which makes management software for WLAN service operators; and rovingIP.net, of Bellevue, Wash., which provides inter-network services to public and private WLAN service providers. Intel did not disclose the amount of money given to each company. The Intel Communications Fund has invested in seven WLAN-related companies since last October, when Intel announced plans to invest $150 million in companies pursuing Wi-Fi WLAN technology. Since making its first investment in a wireless networking company in 1999, the Intel Communications Fund has invested in more than 15 wireless networking companies. These included an investment in Cometa Networks, the joint venture WLAN public hot spot company that Intel, IBM and AT&T Corp. announced last December. Intels WLAN push also includes its Centrino chipset, which the company will launch on March 12 and which several companies have already announced plans to use in their notebook computers. Centrino includes the Pentium-M chip—formerly known as "Banias", an accompanying chipset and an 802.11b WLAN module that includes a radio from Royal Phillips Electronics. Latest Wireless News: Search for more stories by Carmen Nobel.
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