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WonderTechnology fact

The name Wi-Fi was coined in 1999 by the branding firm Interbrand for a wireless networking standard whose technical name was IEEE 802.11b. It was chosen because it sounded like hi-fi; the slogan 'wireless fidelity' came only afterwards, and was used for a short time.

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The companies behind the new standard, then called the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, wanted a name 'a little catchier than IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence'. Interbrand proposed ten names, and Wi-Fi was chosen, together with its yin-yang style logo. Hi-fi, short for high fidelity, was a familiar term for good-quality sound equipment, so the echo suggested quality. Soon afterwards the group briefly used the slogan 'The Standard for Wireless Fidelity', which is why many people believe Wi-Fi is an abbreviation. Phil Belanger, a founding member of the group, has said the name never stood for anything. The group renamed itself the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2002 and still certifies that devices work together. The technology is older than the name: the first 802.11 standard appeared in 1997, building on WaveLAN, developed by NCR and AT&T in the Netherlands in 1991, and on patented research by Australia's national science agency, CSIRO.

Türkçe oku
Wi-Fi adını 1999'da, teknik adı IEEE 802.11b olan kablosuz ağ standardı için marka danışmanlık şirketi Interbrand buldu. Ad, kaliteli ses sistemleri için kullanılan “hi-fi” sözcüğünü çağrıştırdığı için seçildi; “wireless fidelity” sloganı ise sonradan çıktı ve kısa bir süre kullanıldı.

Yeni standardın arkasındaki şirketler, o zamanki adıyla Kablosuz Ethernet Uyumluluk Birliği (WECA), “IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence”tan biraz daha akılda kalıcı bir ad istiyordu. Interbrand on ad önerdi; Wi-Fi seçildi ve şirket, yin-yang'a benzeyen logoyu da tasarladı. “High fidelity”nin kısaltması olan hi-fi, kaliteli ses sistemleri için bilinen bir terimdi; bu benzerlik de kaliteyi çağrıştırıyordu. Ad bulunduktan kısa süre sonra grup bir süre “The Standard for Wireless Fidelity” sloganını kullandı. Pek çok kişinin Wi-Fi'yi “wireless fidelity”nin kısaltması sanmasının nedeni budur. Birliğin kurucularından Phil Belanger ise adın hiçbir zaman bir şeyin kısaltması olmadığını söylemiştir. Birlik 2002'de adını Wi-Fi Alliance olarak değiştirdi ve cihazların birbiriyle uyumlu çalıştığını belgelemeyi sürdürüyor. Teknoloji, adından eskidir: İlk 802.11 standardı 1997'de yayımlandı. Bu standart, NCR ile AT&T'nin 1991'de Hollanda'da geliştirdiği WaveLAN sistemine ve Avustralya'nın ulusal bilim kurumu CSIRO'nun patentli araştırmalarına dayanıyordu.

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