Wi2Wi chip promises Mobile Embedded Hotspots for all
Sharing 3G or 4G connections among multiple WiFi clients has become increasingly popular this year, with Novatel's MiFi kicking off the trend and, most recently, Sprint's Overdrive promising to do the same for WiMAX. Now Wi2Wi, an embedded radio company, is promising to give every portable gadget instant Access Point status, just as long as it's equipped with one of their Mobile Embedded Hotspot (MEH) wireless adapters.
The MEH technology is basically built into a wireless adapter, either a System in Package (SIP) or a half mini card, and allows it to create an instant Access Point supporting up to eight simultaneous WiFi users. That way any connection the host device has – 3G, wired ethernet, etc – can be shared among the clients. Wi2Wi offer adapters with WiFi b/g alone, b/g/Bluetooth, and b/g/Bluetooth/GPS.
Of course, we've seen software on smartphones that does a similar thing – HTC made quite a deal out of the app preloaded onto the HD2 – but Wi2Wi seem to be attempting to differentiate their solution by suggesting it could be used to create more dynamic networks. That is, various devices that can quickly set themselves up as Access Points – such as printers, MIDs, laptops, smartphones and other gadgets – in a multipoint ad-hoc style. Whether that's something customers actually want remains to be seen, and there's no word on whether the company have managed to sell MEH technology to device vendors.
Press Release:
Wi2Wi Introduces Mobile Embedded Hotspot2010 International CES
LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Wi2Wi, Inc. is a leader in developing multiple-radio solutions that fulfill the businesses and consumers' growing demand for connectivity. Wi2Wi's Mobile Embedded Hotspot™ technology has been recognized for bringing businesses and consumers ultimate mobility by delivering a truly mobile Internet Access Point.
"the dynamic or static configuring of the portable or handheld devices as a rapidly deployable Access Point in the field, instantly enables a broad spectrum of applications for MIDs, UMPCs, industrial, medical, education, & defense markets."
Wi2Wi's Mobile Embedded Hotspot™ (MEH) turns any business and consumer electronic device with an Internet connection into a pocket-sized wireless hotspot. The MEH enables mobile Internet users to carry a Wi-Fi hotspot with them wherever they go, and supports up to 8 users. Now MIDs, smart-phones, digital cameras, PMPs, and PNDs can operate as full featured Wi-Fi access points, sharing the portable & mobile devices fixed broadband & 3G connections to the Internet.
"Wi2Wi's Mobile Embedded Hotspot™ is a perfect solution for embedded WiFi applications where the Wi2Wi module can operate as the client or a Micro Access point supporting multiple clients simultaneously," said Reza Ahy, Wi2Wi's CEO, "the dynamic or static configuring of the portable or handheld devices as a rapidly deployable Access Point in the field, instantly enables a broad spectrum of applications for MIDs, UMPCs, industrial, medical, education, & defense markets."
MEH technology enables the transformation of portable devices (such as MIDs and mobile handsets) into micro Wi-Fi Access Points where Wi-Fi enabled devices can share the fixed broadband or 3G connection to the internet. It also enables MIDs, (and other portable devices), smart-phones and other Wi-Fi enabled products such as laptops, cameras and printers to communicate with each other without requiring access to the cellular network. This technology allows robust real-time streaming of audio/video content over Wi-Fi networks, and is backward compatible with earlier generation Wi-Fi enabled products.
The MEH technology is available in the following 3 products currently in mass production:
W2SW0001 – 802.11b/g SiP
W2CBW003 – 802.11b/g+BT SiP
W2CBWG01 – 802.11b/g +BT+ GPS – Half mini card
About Wi2Wi, Inc.
Wi2Wi Inc. is a premier supplier of 802.11, Bluetooth, GPS, and combination wireless solutions and supplies Module, System-in-Package (SiP), and subsystem wireless products to MID, UMPC, industrial, consumer, medical, defense, and peripheral OEMs. Headquartered in San Jose, California, Wi2Wi provides leading-edge wireless solution for embedded applications with substantial savings on time-to-market, cost, and system-integration. Wi2Wi solutions also leverage its patent-pending wireless integration technology along with tier-1 global partnerships with industry leading silicon and supply chain companies.