Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2006 (Revised June 2007)

Atheros Communications

by Thomas R. Eisenmann and Lauren Barley

Abstract

Managers at Atheros, a leading provider of wireless local area network chipsets, must decide whether to join a special interest group (SIG) proposed by Intel to end an impasse over standards for the 802.11n (11n), the next generation of "Wi-Fi" technology. Two factions are supporting rival proposals for 11n standards in the IEEE, the electronics industry's chief standards-setting organization. Working outside the IEEE's formal processes, Intel's SIG would advance a compromise that could break the deadlock. Alternatively, the SIG could provoke a backlash, resulting in the IEEE's approval of a different standard for 11n. In that event, Intel and its SIG allies would suffer a severe time-to-market setback in exploiting what promises to be a large, fast-growing chip market.

Keywords: Intellectual Property; Standards; Wireless Technology; Semiconductor Industry; United States;

Format: Print 19 pages EducatorsPurchase

Citation:

Eisenmann, Thomas R., and Lauren Barley. "Atheros Communications." Harvard Business School Case 806-093, February 2006. (Revised June 2007.)

About the Author

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Thomas R. Eisenmann
Howard H. Stevenson Professor of Business Administration
Entrepreneurial Management

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