The MaxWell Lab at the University of Maryland is home to the first WiMax Forum-endorsed applications lab in North America.
Companies will benefit from new applications for the mobile broadband Internet as a result of the WiMax applications testing and development work conducted at the MaxWell Lab, according to the group.
The Forum is an industry organization formed to certify and promote the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products, in an effort to accelerate the introduction of these systems into the marketplace.
“As WiMAX technology is deployed, innovative applications will evolve to support the demand and new service models for mobile Internet,” said Ron Resnick, president of the WiMax Forum.
The initial focus of the lab, which is part of the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, will be location-aware applications, officials said.
For example, with the deployments of WiMax in the Washington area, the Maryland-based MaxWell Lab will be a suitable site to test any applications that run on that system, according to the forum.
Ashok Agrawala, director of the MaxWell Lab and professor of computer science, said with a community of some 45,000 people at the University of Maryland, the lab will have a large potential test bed with many potential users. Students, professors, industry leaders and WiMax Forum members, will use the lab to develop applications and services.
