InformationWeek

The Infrared Data Association (IrDA) has ratified a higher-speed version of its current infrared wireless networking standard. Dubbed the Very Fast Infrared standard, the specification increases the data rate that standards-based infrared LAN equipment uses from 4 Mbps to 16 Mbps.

The next step is expected to come this summer when the IrDA approves the Advanced Infrared specification, which will let access points receive infrared connections in a 180-degree radius from as far away as 10 meters and operate at data rates of up to 4 Mbps. By comparison, both the current 4-Mbps and 16-Mbps standards can only connect devices 1 meter away from an access point and devices can't be more than 15 degrees from the infrared port.

Such improvements in performance may make infrared networking more attractive in the business environment, analysts say. "This has been a dead market," says Greg Naderi, an analyst at Frost & Sullivan Inc. "A lot of personal digital assistants and laptops have infrared ports, but only a fraction of people use them because there has been no marketable application."

However, faster speed is not the key issue for infrared LAN devices, according to Naderi. Notebook computers connected to switches via a dedicated 4-Mbps wireless link generally have enough bandwidth. "For a dedicated connection, 4 Mbps is fast enough for most people," he says. "What we need are turnkey solutions that easily interoperate with other devices. That's still not there yet."

ııVendors understand the problem. "The technology is definitely there, but interoperability needs to be addressed with the different manufacturers," says Colin Petty, VP of marketing and sales at Clarinet Systems Inc., an infrared equipment vendor that plans to incorporate the Very Fast Infrared (VFIR) standard into its infrared network equipment.