The business, academic and government communities of Austin, Texas, cordially invite you to a news conference at CTIA.

Qualcomm created a chip design center in Austin. Nokia established a major presence after the purchase of Code Warrior technology from Metrowerks. Wayport Inc. became the country's largest Wi-Fi hotspot provider, and National Instruments introduced products for testing wireless devices. The Wi-Fi Alliance, the global Wi-Fi organization that created the Wi-Fi brand and certifies interoperability of IEEE 802.11 products, moved to Austin from California. And the Wireless Networking & Communications Group at the University of Texas at Austin is now the largest wireless research center in the country.

All in the past year.

Why is this happening in Austin? Why is Austin, "The Human Capital," becoming "Austin, Wireless Capital?"

When: Tuesday, March 15
What time: 2 p.m.
Where: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Room 253
Second level of the Convention Center, above Hall F

Speakers include:

Jason Ford, from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Wireless Industry Development Office, will uncover the momentum in Austin's wireless industry and introduce several of the visionaries who are establishing Austin as the Wireless Capital of North America.

Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance and board member of the Austin Wireless Alliance (90-plus member companies), will discuss regional collaboration and the business climate that hooked the Wi-Fi Alliance to relocate its corporate headquarters to Austin from Mountain View, California.

Joseph Kovacs, RF product manager at National Instruments, a leading test and measurement supplier to most of the world's players in this market, will explain how a three-person university start-up became a multinational company employing thousands by accessing Austin's human capital and expertise in wireless technologies. National Instruments is also expected to announce new RF measurement tools.

Dan Lowden, vice president of marketing at Wayport, will articulate how Austin-grown Wayport has become the largest Wi-Fi provider for public hotspots (for both public access and private-side applications) in the nation and how Wayport has pioneered Wi-Fi roaming agreements with major carriers to create a new business model in the industry.

Jim Welch, CEO of Wireless Valley, will explain the recruitment of Dr. Ted Rappaport and Wireless Valley to Austin, accelerating the growth of Austin as a wireless center for business and technology.

Click here to learn more about the public-private-academic collaboration to establish Austin as the leader in wireless technology and business.