Motorola on 802.11n: 'We're Waiting Until It's Ratified'

Sometimes, being an early adopter of new technology is not the best business strategy. That’s the tact being taken by wireless products manufacturer Motorola. CNet News reporter David Meyer wrote in a Friday article that, speaking at a ZDNet event in London, Motorola senior products manager Angelo Lamme said the company has no plans to make any 802.11n-based products until the standard is fully ratified by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

 

That’s despite the fact that 802.11n may not be ratified until 2009.

 

“We’re going to wait until the final standard has been set,” Meyer quote Lamme as saying. “It doesn't make sense to ship yet, as enterprises won't adopt (802.11n) that early, and we don't want our customers to end up with noncompliant, prestandard equipment.”

 

Wow, that’s quite a firm stance. One wonder, though, how long it will hold out. What if it really does take until 2009 before 802.11n is ratified? Will Motorola really wait that long to start manufacturing the next generation of wireless products? Even though the standard is not yet hardened, a lot of other manufacturers are jumping on board anyway. That could be a mistake, or it could be a smart move given how fast technologies change.

 

Not that I’ve got anything against standards, mind you. I just wonder if Motorola can really afford to take such a strong “wait-till-its-finished” approach when so many of its competitors are unwilling to be so patient. After all, as Meyer points out, another wireless industry group, Wi-Fi Alliance, plans to start certifying 802.11n products in June, despite the fact there’s no guarantee “that equipment currently available will be interoperable with the finalized standard.”

 

802.11, Meyer notes, promises to deliver improved bandwidth and range; many vendors, including Intel, have already started shipping products that conform to the draft 802.11n standard. Since it’s not in final draft yet, though, the standard could change significantly before it’s ratified by IEEE.

 

Meyer quotes Lamme as saying that Motorola’s 802.11n strategy is designed to protect enterprises and consumers. Those who adopt 802.11n draft products may later find themselves locked into technology that becomes redundant in only a few years.

 

What do you think—is Motorola making a mistake or being prudent?