Why a dual mode solution and not a simpler 802.11a solution? It is a fact that today many announcements are made about the availability of 802.11a chipsets and even finished products. Those announcements are driven by the computer world, in the continuity of the WiFi connectivity and more generally of the Ethernet networks. And it is true that 802.11 is a good standard for the replacement or the extension of an Ethernet network.

     But, when taking into account wireless multimedia communications, which will be, in the future, a mass market bigger than the wireless Ethernet market, the use of a 802.11a solution leads to a non effective system. Because of the architecture of the 802.11 standard, which has to live with the history of the 802 standard family, QoS is difficult to guarantee as well as a good and efficient use of the radio resource.

     HiperLAN2 has been designed by ETSI and by many companies of the telecom and computer worlds to meet the needs of the wireless multimedia applications. In keeping with GSM, all the knowledge of ETSI is gathered in this standard: it has been designed to be strong, reliable, flexible and versatile. The centralised management of the access to the media enables its optimisation and its scheduling. A major consequence of this principle is a real QoS management, as well as high effective and useful data rates.

     Moreover, the security functions (encryption and authentication) supported by HiperLAN2 are one of the most powerful of the moment (DES / Triple DES / Diffie Hellman / RSA) and HiperLAN2 is a good support for many kinds of network protocols (IP, ATM, DECT). This standard makes it also possible to achieve bridges to and emulations of other wired busses like Ethernet, Firewire / IEEE1394.

     Chairman and CEO of STEPMIND, Alain Jolivet said that "the development of our dual mode HiperLAN2 and 802.11a base-band and RF chip-set is going on. Next year, we will prove the achievement of a complete hardware and software HiperLAN2 solution. It will be a unique solution to perform wireless high speed data communication and it will be cost effective."

     About Stepmind
     Founded in July 2000, STEPMIND operates in the field of Wireless High Speed Data. STEPMIND develops and designs integrated circuits in the field of RF transceivers and baseband according to the GSM/GPRS/EDGE, IEEE 802.11a and HiperLAN2 standards. This expanding design house will also market complete solutions, including software, for RF data link modules complying with IEEE 802.11a and HiperLAN2 wireless standards. STEPMIND

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CONTACT: 
Stephane Galfre
Communication Manager
Stepmind,
+33-1-41-10-29-10
contactus@stepmind.com