Finally, Cisco pushes the technology envelope through the Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX) program. Through the CCX program, Cisco works with our WLAN client partners to add features that improve things like roaming, quality of service, voice and security. We have used the CCX program to drive the adoption of key industry standards like WPA/WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access versions 1 and 2) and WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) on the client side. Furthermore, proprietary CCX features supplement industry standards rather than harming them, and we have often submitted CCX technology to the IEEE for industry adoption. Examples of CCX features we have submitted for standardization are key parts of the emerging IEEE 802.11k, 802.11r, 802.11u, 802.11v and 802.11w working group efforts. CCX benefits the industry as a whole, not just Cisco. This is the responsible way to innovate.
It is important--not just to Cisco, but to the entire industry--that standards prevail, particularly in a global market such as wireless networking. It is only the guarantees of interoperability and a level playing field provided by standards that allow a networking market to become global. The standards-development process has reacted to new user requirements and produced the new standards to meet those requirements.
Cisco incorporates standards into our products, to compete fairly in the market. We innovate in areas not yet covered by standards, to provide exceptional value to our customers. Where we have found that our innovations would be beneficial to the entire industry, we have brought those innovations to the standards bodies and participated with our peers in the process of developing new standards. It's only through principled competition that the industry benefits from competitors' innovations. In no case do our innovations violate other vendors' systems' ability to operate in the shared spectrum.
As vendors, if we cannot abide by the standards, we are likely to create an untenable situation for our customers and for the entire market, building a Tower of Babel of systems that contend for rather than share the precious unlicensed spectrum. Don't forget, unlicensed spectrum is a resource owned by the government, hence by the people, and not something owned by any vendor. Or, to paraphrase Ben Franklin, "We can hang together or hang alone" if we violate the WLAN rules of the road; for if we do, "we shall all certainly hang."
Bob O'Hara is a technical leader in Cisco Systems Wireless Networking Business Unit, focusing on Cisco's engagements in industry standards bodies. O'Hara was the co-founder of Airespace, which was acquired by Cisco in 2005. He is currently chairman of the 802.11 revision task group, member of the IEEE 802 Executive Committee and author of The IEEE 802.11 Handbook: A Designer's Companion (IEEE, 2005).
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