IBM Joins the WiMAX Forum

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has become a member of the WiMAX Forum™, an industry-led organization driving the global adoption of standards-based, interoperable WiMAX products for the delivery of broadband mobile Internet services.

"Our membership reaffirms IBM's commitment to helping our service provider community deliver anytime, anywhere, converged communications," says Don Lopes, vice president, IBM Global Services telecommunications industry. "We want to continue to support WiMAX as it evolves and becomes more established in the marketplace."

WiMAX technology is designed to help service providers across global markets deliver economical, "last-mile," wireless broadband data, voice and video services to both residential and business customers. Migrating from a traditional switched environment to an IP-based network is a major challenge facing service providers, but one that creates a lot of opportunity to meet the growing demands of users, Lopes notes.

"The ability to integrate, collaborate and create new services across a universal platform is critical to maintaining relevance," he says. "We're helping our service provider clients understand how WiMAX can enable new sources of revenue -- advertising, other content -- with a lower cost of delivery. Moving to an IP environment will transform all aspects of their businesses -- from enhanced capabilities to efficient operations."

In addition to a wide range of consulting, implementation services, hardware and software to help service providers leverage new business models, IBM has developed an ecosystem of device, equipment, software and services partners, many of whom are also WiMAX Forum members. Together, they have participated in early broadband wins in both the municipal and telco markets, where interest has been growing rapidly.

About the WiMAX Forum
The WiMAX Forum is an industry-led, non-profit corporation formed to help promote and certify the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products using the IEEE 802.16 and ETSI HiperMAN wireless MAN specifications. The Forum's goal is to accelerate the introduction of these devices into the marketplace. WiMAX Forum Certified™ products will be fully interoperable and support Metropolitan Broadband Fixed, Portable and Mobile Applications. For more information about the WiMAX Forum and its activities, please visit www.wimaxforum.org WiMAX Forum and WiMAX Forum Certified are trademarks of the WiMAX Forum.