Qorvo® Wireless Technology Innovator Cees Links Inducted into Wi-Fi NOW Hall of Fame
Qorvo, a leading provider of innovative RF solutions that connect the world, today announced that company executive Cees Links has been recognized for his decades of advancing wireless technology by being inducted into the Wi-Fi NOW Hall of Fame. The honor is reserved for individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the Wi-Fi industry. Links was also the keynote speaker during the Wi-Fi NOW USA conference held May 14-16 in Washington, D.C. Wi-Fi NOW is the world’s premier Wi-Fi expo & conference featuring industry-leading speakers and companies in enterprise, carrier, in-home, and public Wi-Fi.
Links, general manager of Qorvo’s Wireless Connectivity business, is considered a pioneer in wireless data. He began his career at NCR Computers, where he developed WaveLAN, the world’s first wireless local area network (LAN) product in 1990. He continued his innovative work under different companies, and in 1999 closed a milestone deal with Apple® that was the start of making wireless LANs a standard feature in notebook computers. In 2004, Links founded GreenPeak Technologies to focus on wireless technology for ultra-low power, remote sensing and control networks for consumer electronics. In 2016, GreenPeak was acquired by Qorvo. Links also helped establish the Wi-Fi Alliance, as well as the IEEE 802.11 standardization committee.
Claus Hetting, CEO and chairman of Wi-Fi NOW, said, “We’re honored and delighted to induct Cees Links into the Wi-Fi NOW Hall of Fame. His visionary work during the early days of Wi-Fi brought the first consumer Wi-Fi products to market together with Apple and other famous computer brands. This laid the foundation for today’s broad acceptance of Wi-Fi technology, which is used and enjoyed by billions of people across the globe. Cees continues to work as an influential and inspiring Wi-Fi industry leader to this day.”
James Klein, president, Qorvo Infrastructure and Defense Products, said, “Cees is one of the brilliant minds that helped shape Wi-Fi as we know it today. He was there at its inception and is still challenging the state of Wi-Fi technology and pushing it further. We are fortunate that he is part of the Qorvo team, helping customers and consumers achieve the true potential of wireless connectivity.”
Links added, “I might be one of the pioneers of the Wi-Fi industry, but Wi-Fi has become much more ubiquitous than any of us envisioned in the early days. The possibilities for tomorrow seem limitless.”
Qorvo’s Wireless Connectivity business is a leading developer of wireless semiconductor system solutions for connected devices that support Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread and Bluetooth® Low Energy. Qorvo offers integrated Wi-Fi front ends and an extensive portfolio of advanced RF chips and software for the Internet of Things.
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