Wi-Fi
In 1999, a handful of industry leaders formed a global non-profit
organization with the goal of “driving the adoption of a single
worldwide accepted standard for high-speed wireless local area
networking.” They called themselves the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility
Alliance (WECA).
As IEEE 802.11 was the technical name for the standard, one of
WECA’s first tasks was to adopt a more memorable, user-friendly name
for marketability and relevance.
Phil Belanger, a founding member of the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility
Alliance (now known as the Wi-Fi Alliance) approached Interbrand
knowing that he “needed something that was a little catchier than IEEE
802.11b Direct Sequence.” We came up with the name Wi-Fi and then
created a logo to match the new name.
Since its launch, Wi-Fi has become globally synonymous with
wireless accessibility anywhere. Commenting on the success of the Wi-Fi
brand since its naming, Phil Belanger quipped, “So we were smart to
hire Interbrand to come up with the name and logo.”