Cisco teams with Intel, RIM and Nokia to boost WiFi phone development

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 26 April 2006 18:59

Business IT - Technology

Cisco Systems has teamed up with Nokia, Intel and Research in Motion to ensure development of an adequate range of client devices to support voice over  wireless local area networks built with Cisco technology.
Cisco claims its WLAN systems are already 'voice ready' (ie able to support VoIP) but that are a critical component of a complete solution is "client devices with fully integrated advanced wireless LAN capabilities to ensure optimal performance".

It hopes to achieve this by working with these and other companies through the Cisco Compatible Extensions program which "aims to ensure widespread availability of client devices that are interoperable with a Cisco WLAN infrastructure and [able to] take advantage of Cisco innovations for enhanced security, mobility, quality of service and network management."

The company given no indication of when it expects the first products resulting from this initiative.