WBA, which represents the Wifi industry, is to take over OpenRoaming to facilitate the “broad adoption of OpenRoaming by new and existing Wifi Networks, identity and service providers and other technology partners across the global Wifi ecosystem”.
Under the deal, WBA will take full control of the development, promotion and administration of Cisco’s OpenRoaming technology.
WBA CEO, Tiago Rodrigues said: “OpenRoaming now becomes an open standard, creating a world where Wi-Fi users will be able to move seamlessly from one Wi-Fi network to another without re-registering or signing in. As a global wireless industry standard, WBA OpenRoaming will improve Wi-Fi services and availability, making life easier for users, and more efficient for the global mobile and Wi-Fi ecosystem.
“OpenRoaming is now open for business,” he added, “and I call on anyone with a Wi-Fi network, private or public, coffee shop or sports stadia or any other type of venue, to join our open ecosystem in order for the service they offer to their users to be automatic, secure, and interoperable, making their networks available to a wider audience.”
Handing over the baton, Matt MacPherson, wireless CTO at Cisco, added: “There is considerable pull from the industry and our customers, both enterprise and service provider, to automate secure onboarding across multiple verticals. We knew OpenRoaming would be a game-changing wireless technology, but the support from across the industry has even surpassed our expectations. OpenRoaming is vital to unlocking the potential of wireless communications.
“Cisco has been proud to lead the OpenRoaming efforts, but we believe strongly that the WBA is the right organisaion to steward, with neutrality and confidence, such an important industry initiative.”
