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Inventive Products Extend Range of Home Wireless Systems

BY KATHY HAGOOD

WiDeFi Inc. co-founders Jim Proctor and Ken Gainey first got the idea for their Melbourne-based semiconductor design and development company as they struggled with wireless systems in their own homes.

“It’s really frustrating when you want to work on your laptop out on your patio so you can enjoy the nice Florida weather but your wireless coverage won’t extend that far,” said Proctor, who currently serves as the privately held company’s vice president and chief technology officer.

Depending upon what materials a home is built of and what its configuration is, wireless dead spots halt 802.11 Wi-Fi transmissions. Concrete block construction and multi-levels often impede a wireless system’s range.

An estimated 40 percent of all homes with Wi-Fi systems suffer from dead spots and range barriers. In the South, many users face problems as they try to access the Web from their decks and balconies. In the Northeast wireless systems based in basement offices often won’t reach upper level bedrooms.

“ Wireless product manufacturers often get complaints from customers who expect whole-house coverage when they buy wireless products,” Proctor said.

So he, Gainey and a third associate no longer with WiDeFi decided they needed to invent a set of computer chips and software that would extend wireless coverage areas in residences. Proctor and Gainey, both of whom are named inventors on dozens of patents, had worked together at Harris Corp. and believed their technology background would enable them to find the right means.

The WiDeFi Xtender family of 802.11 Wi-Fi repeater chipsets resulted from their efforts. Xtender products double the range of wireless home systems while retaining data throughput rates and supporting security protocols at a lower cost than competing products.

“First they defined the problem, and then they found the solution,” said Geoff Phillips, who was brought onboard in September as president and chief executive officer of the company. Phillips also is a former Harris Corp. employee and has more than 20 years experience in senior level management in the semiconductor industry.

The founders started the company in July 2002 with their own money and worked for six months without a paycheck. Finally on New Year’s Eve they signed their first contract and celebrated the beginnings of positive cash flow.

“The fact they were willing to put themselves on the line for their idea says how much they believed in it,” Phillips said.

More successes soon followed. The company was presented with the Bill Otterson Star of the Show award at the Wi-Fi La Jolla 2003 Symposium in June of 2003. Participants voted on the award for the “the best company business opportunity” represented at the symposium, which included presentations by S.A.I.C., AntStar, Soflinx, IP3 Networks, Citrix, La Jolla Networks and Intel.

Soon thereafter WiDeFi received a total of $1.5 million in seed investment capital. To date WiDeFi has garnered $7.6 million in investment equity from venture capital resources such as The Aurora Funds, and Axiom Ventures, Draper Richards, Inflexion, Camp Ventures and Grace Venture Partners.

From its humble beginnings the company has quickly grown to employ a staff of 20 at its 5,200-square-foot Melbourne headquarters.

WiDeFi contracts with Colorado Springs-based Atmel Corp. to manufacture its semiconductors, which are expected to be in wireless range Xtender products on the shelves at stores like Best Buy by the end of the first quarter. The products likely will include wall and shelf units.
The company chose Atmel to fabricate its chips because of Atmel’s collaborative philosophy and its advanced silicon germanium bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor.

WiDeFi representatives demonstrated their Xtender products in January at the 2006 International CES in Las Vegas. This month Phillips will share a presentation on WiDeFi’s growth potential with venture capitalists, other investors and semiconductor industry representatives at the Semiconductor Venture Fair V in Millbrae, Calif.

While WiDeFi’s products primarily will be used in the short term to extend the range of wireless networks used for Web surfing and email, in the near future they will be used for growing Wi-Fi applications including HDTV, gaming and MPEG video streaming, Phillips pointed out.

“There’s tremendous market potential,” he said.

With the promise of these emerging technologies the company is seeking to fulfill its motto and vision statement: “Extending wireless without limits.”

For more information about WiDeFi, visit www.widefi.com