WiโFi 7 MultiโLink Operation (MLO) delivers the reliability manufacturing, warehouse, and logistics environments demand. By supporting 20MHz IoT devices and enabling redundant, multiโband connectivity, WiโFi 7 helps keep AGVs moving, production lines running, and downtime to a minimum.
In manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics (MWL), “uptime” isn’t just a metric – itโs the difference between operating and shutting down. Every minute of downtime leads to lost revenue, missed deadlines, and disrupted supply chains. Studies estimate the average cost of downtime in manufacturing alone is approximately $260,000 per hour [1].
Walk the floor of a modern plant or a high-density warehouse and you can feel the pressure. Itโs not just about coverage anymore, itโs about ensuring deterministic connectivity in environments that are hostile to RF signals. We are talking about facilities packed with heavy concrete walls, dense metal racking, high ceilings, industrial motors generating interference, and extreme conditions ranging from dusty production lines to -40ยฐC cold storage.
For Operational Leaders and IT/OT Directors, the mandate is clear: the network must work as hard as your people do. They need connectivity that is reliable, keeps production lines moving, and the workforce safe.
Recently the Wi-Fi Alliance announced a certification supporting 20MHz-only client devices for Wi-Fi 7. This has significant implications for industrial IoT, Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), scanners and sensors that are common in MWL environments and often limited to devices supporting 20MHz Wi-Fi channels. This certification helps accelerate the proliferation of Wi-Fi 7 device ecosystem especially in MWL environments.
MWL environments create a perfect storm of Wi-Fi challenges that general purpose enterprise networks simply arenโt built to handle. The three most critical challenges are:
Industrial motors, welding arcs, conveyor systems, and variable-frequency drives (VFDs) all radiate EMI across the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectrum. A robotic arm executing a precise pick-and-place sequence doesnโt get a second chance if its Wi-Fi signal drops mid-operation. A machine vision camera inspecting product quality on a moving line canโt function with lagging video. A barcode scanner on a picking cart canโt wait for reconnection. The tolerance for disruption is effectively zero.
In a warehouse, assets are constantly moving. Forklifts, AGVs, and AMRs travel hundreds of meters per shift, crossing multiple access point coverage zones. In legacy Wi-Fi, mobile devices tend to hold onto a weakening AP signal longer than they should. When a mobile robot finally transitions to a stronger AP, it can experience a 2โ3 second connectivity interruptionโlong enough for the robot to halt and create a floor-level traffic jam. In a busy distribution center, thatโs a โlines downโ situation.
Until now, facilities upgrading to Wi-Fi 7 faced a hidden barrier: most existing industrial IoT devicesโsensors, scanners, controllers, AMRsโwere designed around 20 MHz channels and could not take advantage of Wi-Fi 7 networks. The new Wi-Fi Alliance 20 MHz certification bridges that gap, allowing legacy IoT devices to be validated and operate on Wi-Fi 7 networks.
In legacy Wi-Fi, a device picked a frequency band (2.4GHz or 5GHz) and stayed there until it was forced to move. It was like driving on a single-lane road; if a truck (interference) blocked the lane, traffic slowed to a trickle.
Wi-Fi 7 MLO allows devices to simultaneously connect across multiple frequency bands – 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz. This is like upgrading to a multi-lane superhighway where devices can use all lanes simultaneously and steer clear of interference.
RUCKUS understands that industrial networking isn’t just about speed; it’s about reliability in harsh environments.
Our industrial solutions are engineered for the realities of your environment.
Not every warehouse location has dedicated IT staff. RUCKUS One provides cloud-managed simplicity and comes with RUCKUS-AI, which transforms network operations by proactively detecting issues, identifying root cause and resolving problems autonomously at scale. In addition, RUCKUS AI continuously learns behavior and makes recommendations to improve network performance.
The transition to Industry 4.0 is well underway. You are integrating more IoT sensors, more video analytics, and more automation than ever before. You need a network that scales without disruption.
With the new Wi-Fi Alliance certification for 20MHz-only devices and RUCKUS Wi-Fi 7 access points supporting MLO technology (such as the RUCKUS T670sn), you aren’t just buying an access point; you are investing in operational resilience. You are ensuring that your workforce stays connected, your AGVs keep moving, and your downtime is minimized.
RUCKUS is helping operations leaders across the manufacturing and logistics build reliable, safer, and smarter facilities.
Start building a resilient, future-ready network today. Get in touch with a RUCKUS expert or explore the RUCKUS Manufacturing, Warehousing and Logistics solution portfolio and case studies.
Sydney, Australia โ 19 March, 2026 โ Morse Micro, the worldโs leading Wi-Fi HaLow silicon provider, today announced the appointment of Joe Bedewi as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), strengthening the companyโs leadership as it enters its next phase of growth.
Joe brings more than 30 years of leadership across strategic financial planning, operational improvement, systems implementation, acquisitions, and capital raising, with expertise spanning both public and private semiconductor businesses. He joins Morse Micro following a distinguished career at both NASDAQ and ASX-listed companies building a track record for guiding semiconductor companies through major strategic milestones.
Joe served as CFO at digital imaging radar company Uhnder, where he supported the companyโs growth, financing activities, and public company readiness. Prior to that, he was CFO at ASX-listed Altium, where the company achieved double-digit revenue growth and grew its market capitalization to multiple billions. He also led operational and control improvements across a number of legal entities and supported several acquisitions.
Earlier in his career, Joe was Corporate Vice President and CFO at Lattice Semiconductor, where he orchestrated major acquisitions and supported significant business transformation. He also spent more than 15 years at Intel, holding finance and operational roles across fab, assembly and test, supply chain, and strategic systems implementation.
Joe holds a Bachelor of Science in Quantitative Business Analysis from Arizona State University. Currently based in Austin, Texas, he will relocate to Sydney as part of his appointment.
Michael De Nil, co-founder and CEO of Morse Micro, said: โJoe brings exactly the kind of financial and operational leadership Morse Micro values as we enter our next phase of growth. He combines deep semiconductor experience with a proven ability to build the systems, discipline and strategic focus required to support high-growth technology companies. Weโre thrilled to welcome him to the team.โ
Joe Bedewi, CFO of Morse Micro, said: โMorse Micro has all the ingredients of a standout semiconductor success story: a dynamic leadership team, differentiated technology and a significant global market opportunity ahead. This combination presents a compelling opportunity to establish a stronger semiconductor presence in Australia. Iโm excited to join the team and strengthen the financial and operational foundations that will deliver Morse Microโs next phase of growth.โ
For years, the conversation around Wi-Fiยฎ and the Internet of Things (IoT) has been framed as a tradeoff: performance versus power, scale versus simplicity, innovation versus practicality. The reality emerging in 2026 is far more constructive.
With Wi-Fi Allianceยฎโs recent move to extend Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 7โข capabilities to 20 MHz-only IoT devices, the industry now has a more inclusive Wi-Fi roadmap that recognizes how IoT devices actually operate. At the same time, real-world deployments and field trials continue to clarify the role of Wi-Fi HaLowโข (based on IEEE 802.11ah) as a purpose-built extension of Wi-Fi into environments traditional Wi-Fi cannot economically reach.
Taken together, these developments point to an important conclusion: IoT growth will not be driven by a single โwinnerโ technology, but by clearer segmentation and better alignment between use case and capability.
The expansion of WiโFi CERTIFIED 7 to 20 MHz-only devices extends the interoperability, security, and performance benefits of certification to a growing market of IoT devices like sensors, wearables, appliances, and industrial devices that have adopted the latest generation of WiโFi but do not require wide channels to deliver value.
By selectively enabling Wi-Fi 7 features such as Multi-Link Operation (MLO), MU-MIMO, and Multi-RU support at 20 MHz, Wi-Fi Alliance is taking a strategically significant step: bringing determinism, efficiency, and robustness to dense IoT environments while preserving device simplicity and power savings. This is a meaningful advancement for smart homes, factories, healthcare environments, and enterprise IoT deployments where reliability and battery life are paramount.
Just as importantly, it reinforces Wi-Fiโs role as the foundational connectivity layer for IP-based IoT, one that continues to advance without abandoning the realities of low-power, cost-sensitive devices.
At the same time, the last year of analyst research[1] and field trials[2] has solidified Wi-Fi HaLowโs importance to the expanding IoT device market and cutting-edge use cases, as no evolution of 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or 6 GHz Wi-Fi can economically solve the coverage, penetration, and infrastructure constraints that Wi-Fi HaLow was designed to address. Wi-Fi HaLow consistently proves its value where range, penetration, power efficiency, and infrastructure economics intersect:
In these environments, Wi-Fi HaLowโs ability to deliver Wi-Fi-grade security and IP-native connectivity over long distances โ often with dramatically fewer infrastructure nodes that can each support thousands of connected devices โ remains unmatched.
The key insight is directional: Wi-Fi 7 in 20 MHz strengthens Wi-Fi inward, optimizing density and determinism, while Wi-Fi HaLow extends Wi-Fi outward, redefining how far and how economically Wi-Fi can connect. By meeting the expanding requirements of the IoT ecosystem in different ways, these Wi-Fi technologies amplify the potential of emerging and existing products.
What has also become clear is that Wi-Fi HaLow represents a strategic bridge between traditional Wi-Fi and low-power, wide-area networks, enabling long-range, low-power connectivity while preserving IP networking, WPA3โข security, and existing Wi-Fi operational models. In doing so, it unlocks new, monetizable use cases for silicon vendors, device manufacturers, infrastructure providers, and solution integrators.
We are witnessing unprecedented growth in the IoT market, which is transforming industries and everyday lives through connected devices. However, diverse use cases require an equally diverse set of connectivity solutions. Traditional Wi-Fi and cellular technologies, while established, struggle to efficiently serve the unique demands of some IoT applications, such as low power consumption, long range, penetration through dense walls and high device density. Wi-Fi HaLow directly addresses these unmet needs, becoming an essential enabler for the emerging IoT landscape.
For Wi-Fi Alliance members, the most important opportunity is not to position these technologies against each other, but to frame them as architectural building blocks within a unified Wi-Fi strategy.
This matters because organizations are no longer optimizing for individual radios; they are optimizing for total system cost, manageability, and long-term scalability.
The IoT market has seen no shortage of bold claims. What it needs now is precision.
Wi-Fi Allianceโs move to certify Wi-Fi HaLow and Wi-Fi 7 features for 20 MHz-only STA devices is a strong signal that Wi-Fi is adapting to how IoT works. Wi-Fi HaLowโs steady progress shows that range and power efficiency can coexist with IP-native simplicity.
Wi-Fiโs strength has always been its ability to evolve without fragmenting. With Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi HaLow advancing in parallel, the opportunity is not to declare a winner โ but to enable smarter choices. That is where sustainable growth will come from.
[1] Market Analyst Research
[2] Field Trials & Performance Studies
The statements and opinions by each Wi-Fi Alliance member and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions or views of Wi-Fi Alliance or any other member. Wi-Fi Alliance is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information provided by any member in posting to or commenting on this blog. Concerns should be directed to [email protected].
Plume Platform powers smarter, more consistent in-home Wi-Fi experiences across FPT subscriber base
HANOI, VIETNAM and PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA โMARCH 18, 2026โFPT Telecom, one of Vietnamโs leading telecommunications and Internet service providers and a subsidiary of FPT Corporation, today announced a strategic partnership with personalized smart services pioneer Plumeยฎ to bring the globally recognized Plume Platform to FPT Telecom subscribers across Vietnam. The deployment marks a significant step in FPT Telecomโs ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible in-home connectivity experience for its customers.
FPTโs network leverages the Plume Platformโs advanced Wi-Fi optimization and AI-informed application recognition and prioritization technologies to create a more consistent, reliable home network that adapts to the way each household uses the Internet. Whether subscribers are streaming video, joining video calls, gaming or working from home, the Plume Platform intelligently identifies and prioritizes the applications and activities that matter most, ensuring smoother performance across every connected device. Powered by cloud-based analytics and AI/machine learning, Plume continuously improves performance by learning from patterns across tens of millions of households globally, helping the network adapt to new devices and applications over time.
โOur mission at Plume is to help the worldโs best internet service providers deliver the best customer experience possible,โ said Dan Herscovici, President and CEO of Plume. โFPTโs commitment to putting the customer experience first aligns perfectly with what Plume does every day for ISPs around the world and we look forward to helping them deliver a network experience that truly reflects that commitment, powered by Wi-Fi-optimization and AI-informed application prioritization capabilities to subscribers across Vietnam.โ
Todayโs households rely on Wi-Fi for an ever-growing range of activities, from remote work and online education to high-definition streaming and smart home devices. Delivering consistent, high-performance connectivity across every corner of the home is no longer a nice-to-have; it is essential. By selecting Plume as a technology partner, FPT is taking a proactive step to meet that demand and raise the bar for the subscriber experience in Vietnam.
โAt FPT, improving customer experience is always our top priority,โ said Mr. Le Trung, Director of Infrastructure Development and Management Center, FPT Telecom, FPT Corporation. โWe are a technology pioneer in Vietnam and among the first to widely deploy Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7, as well as introduce broadband services of up to 10Gbps. Building on this foundation, we continuously collaborate with leading technology partners to further enhance the quality and consistency of in-home Wi-Fi, enabling our subscribers to enjoy seamless, best-in-class connectivity for their everyday digital needsโ.
The Plume Platform on the FPT network delivers several AI-driven Wi-Fi optimization and security benefits to subscribers including:
Through this partnership, FPT and Plume are working together to set a new standard for in-home Wi-Fi in Vietnam, one that places the needs and daily digital habits of subscribers at the center of everything while building trust.
About FPT Telecom
FPT Telecom Joint Stock Company is one of Vietnamโs leading telecommunications and Internet service providers, and a member company of FPT Corporation โ the largest IT corporation in Vietnam. Established in 1997, FPT Telecom was a pioneer in bringing Internet connectivity to Vietnamese citizens and continues to serve millions of households and businesses nationwide. Its services span broadband Internet (including fiber-to-the-home), IPTV, data center, cloud computing, and value-added digital services. FPT Telecom is guided by a customer-first philosophy and a continuous commitment to deploying state-of-the-art technology to deliver outstanding digital experiences. Learn more at https://www.fpt.vn.
About Plume
Plume created the first managed Wi-Fi platform for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in 2016 and continues to lead today with a best-in-class solution for cloud-managed Wi-Fi, security, and workflow orchestration โ all powered by an unmatched dataset and AI. With almost half a billion devices connected to its platform, Plume is a trusted technology partner for more than 400 ISPs around the world, helping them deliver subscriber confidence through better Wi-Fi experiences, new services, and proactive customer care. Plume leverages OpenSyncยฎ, an open-source framework that comes pre-integrated and supported on the leading silicon, CPE, and platform SDKs, and supports leading industry standards like RDK-B and prplWave. Combined with powerful AI orchestration tools with its acquisition of Sweepr, Plume now offers ISPs a true end-to-end solution to power their most important workflows and customer experiences, while making deployment simpler and faster. Plume is leading the way in providing ISPs an intelligence and innovation edge to stay competitive, build subscriber confidence, and adapt to the changing needs of the market. Discover more about how Plume is empowering ISPs by visiting https://www.plume.com.
Marathon is Bungie’s new survival extraction FPS game that blends bold design with fast paced loot focused gameplay. Whether you’re fighting against the UESC forces, or other players – you’ll need a fast and stable connection to succeed.
In this blog we’ll show you how to fix all connection issues in Marathon. Whether you’re suffering from high ping, packet loss or an unstable connection, we have a fix for you in this blog.
The first thing to check when experiencing high ping or connection issues in Marathon is the games server status. If the servers are experiencing problems or become overloaded at peak times, your connection quality may suffer or your may experience issue logging into the game.
The only official way to check Marathon’s server status is through the official Bungie server status X (Twitter) Account, which you can find here.
Unfortunately, there is no direct solution for server issues as it’s up to the game developers to fix them. But knowing they are the cause of your connection issues will save you time troubleshooting your own network.
Using a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi will drastically improve your connection quality in Marathon. Whilst Wi-Fi is convenient for getting your devices online, it has some shortcomings for online gaming.
The main issues come from signal strength and interference, which can lead to packet loss, rubber banding and disconnections. In a high stakes game like Marathon where packet loss or disconnections can cause you to lose value loot and time, you need to make sure your connection is as stable as possible.
Switching to a wired ethernet connection is one of the quickest ways to get a better connection in Marathon. Ethernet offers a faster, more stable and lower latency connection – which is ideal for fast paced looting and gunfights. It also does not suffer from signal strength or interference, like Wi-Fi.
The only drawback to ethernet is whether its practical for you to run a cable between your router and gaming device. If this is an issue for your setup, you may want to look into Powerline Adapters. These let you carry an ethernet connection between devices using your home existing electrical wiring.
The Netduma R3 gaming router is the ultimate tool to combat connection issues in Marathon. Whether you’re suffering from high ping, an unstable connection or packet loss – the R3 has a fix.
In the following sections we’ll break down the gaming features of the R3 that will eliminate each connection issue so you can get back to scavenging around Tau Ceti IV.
The Geo-Filter feature allows you to control what game servers you connect to, instead of leaving it all up to a matchmaking algorithm.
The game server you connect to is the biggest determining factor of your ping in Marathon. The further away the server is, the higher your ping, this mean you’ll always want to connect to your nearest servers.
The Geo-Filter allows you to do this by creating a customisable filter around your location which forces connection to servers inside the radius, whilst blocking connection to servers outside of it.
This feature also gives you insight into your connection quality, which you can’t normally see due to Marathon having no connection metric settings. The side bar of the Geo-Filter will show you the server you’re connected to, your in-game ping and how stable your connection is.
If you want to learn more about the Geo-Filter and its more advanced settings, check out our Ultimate Geo-Filter guide below.
There is nothing worse in an intense gunfight than your ping spiking, especially when your loot is on the line. Steady Ping fixes this issue by stabilising your connection and eliminating jitter. This helps the game better sync to the game server you’re connected to, which results in extremely responsive inputs and gameplay.
Once Steady Ping is enabled, it will automatically start to stabilise your connection as you load into a game. If you want more control, or just want to tinker with settings, there is an Expert Mode available which let’s you set your ideal ping to stabilise to.
Packet loss is a major problem in fast paced games like Marathon, as dropped packets can completely ruin your chances of an exfil. This is an extremely problem common on busy networks, with other devices and applications fighting over your networks bandwidth.
The R3’s SmartBOOST feature allows you to prioritise gaming and eliminates bufferbloat, so all applications on your network will run smoother. By ensuring big downloads or streaming movies doesn’t interrupt your gaming, you’ll always be playing on a fast and stable connection.
If you want to see SmartBOOST optimise a busy home network, check our our live demo video below.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif.,ย March 10, 2026
Gateworks Corporation, a leader in industrial embedded technology, announced the expansion of itsย Catalina Single Board Computer (SBC) family. Engineered around the high-performance NXPยฎ Semiconductors i.MX 95 applications processor, the Catalina platform is designed to bring transformative Edge AI, machine vision and autonomous capabilities to the harshest industrial environments.
NXP will feature the i.MX 95 processor with live application demonstrations at Embedded World, March 10-12th in Nuremberg, Germany.
The Catalina SBC is optimized for three primary pillars of modern industrial technology:
The Catalina series marks a deepening of the collaboration between Gateworks and NXP. As anย NXPยฎย Semiconductors Gold Partner,ย Gateworks ensures seamless integration of the NXP i.MX 95 SoCโs advanced features, including the integrated eIQยฎ Neutron NPU and ISP.
At NXP, we focus on enabling secure, scalable edge intelligence across industrial and embedded markets. Gateworks brings proven engineering expertise, high-quality USA manufacturing, and a ruggedized platform approach to the i.MX 95 applications processor. Together, we will continue to empower customers to deploy sophisticated AI applications with confidence and speed.
Robert Thompson, Director, Smart Connected Edge Ecosystem, NXP Semiconductors
The Catalina family introduces a โno-compromiseโ architecture for high-bandwidth industrial applications. Available in the compactย GW9200ย (90 x 100mm) andย GW9400ย (170 x 100mm), the platform combines extreme networking with field-proven reliability:
Recognizing the rapid evolution of AI models, Gateworks is designing modular expansion paths based on NXPโs AI technology. This allows customers to scale AI performance as requirements grow without redesigning their base compute architecture.
Catalina provides the โindustrial-gradeโ backbone that edge AI and intelligent automation have been waiting for. By pairing NXPโs cutting-edge silicon and AI acceleration with our US-based manufacturing and design expertise, we are helping our customers deploy smarter, more resilient systems at scale.
Kelly Peralta, VP of Sales and Business Development, Gateworks Corporation
NXP will showcase application-driven demos focusing on industrial vision and robotics-ready architectures powered by the i.MX 95 SoC. Meet NXP at Embedded World, Booth 4A-222
Gateworksโ i.MX 95-based Development Kits and production quantities are available now through distribution and directly through Gateworks.
For more information or to get started with an evaluation,ย view the Catalina GW9200 Product Page.
As organizational AI strategies mature, we are seeing a clear shift from broad-spectrum, generic AI platforms, such as Microsoft Copilot or Google Gemini, toward purpose-built, customized intelligence trained on proprietary data. While early AI models relied on bolt-on external sources, enterprises are now rapidly pivoting towards more advanced, built-in, fit-for-purpose AI, designed for specific use cases, such as predictive maintenance or fraud detection. These models are trained and fine-tuned on relevant domain data, integrated into core systems and built to support decision making and deliver measurable business outcomes.
โEmbeddedโ or โnativeโ AI is justified because native intelligence promises more nuanced performances and superior outcomes, and greater security, while making better, long-term economic sense.
Letโs take a deeper look at why the shift from generic external AI to embedded AI is a pivot in the right direction.
General-purpose AI, by its very nature, relies on generic, external data. In the absence of customized data, specific compliance frameworks, or regulatory obligations, the deep, detailed and granular insights required fail to materialize. An algorithm that is not tailored to meet a specific business objective cannot deliver real value by producing results that are broad, superficial, and lacking nuance. Additionally, external AI is disconnected from the operational protocols, infrastructure nuances, real-time constraints, or an understanding of the hierarchy of specific service provider systems.
This context deficit has the potential to impact outcomes adversely, as it cannot provide the basis for intelligent, informed decision-making that any company would require.
All AI models need data to train their algorithms. While external AI uses synthetic or generic data, built-in AI ingests real telemetry data to build native intelligence. This knowledge helps embedded AI learn to recognize operational patterns, identify behavioral anomalies, accurately predict outcomes, and even avoid failures; all tailored to the company for which it was built.
Unlike external AI, embedded AI models learn from real-world events, user behavior, and system dynamics. They develop a high level of domain fluency that is invaluable and almost impossible for external solutions to replicate.
The responses generated reflect actual systems without translation layers, which are basic to external AI. Moreover, the answers are not simulated examples. They are instead grounded in real infrastructure.
Edge computing is a distributed computing model that processes data at or near the source rather than on centralized cloud servers. The physical sources could be IoT devices, local servers, or regional data centers. Processing on the edge has undeniable advantages. It reduces latency, improves speed, and enables real-time decision-making.
Edge-deployed intelligence eliminates latency associated with data transmission traffic delays caused by network hops, multiple authentication layers, and queue processing. With embedded AI, when network detects unusual traffic patterns, systems can respond locally in microseconds, without round-trip communication with external systems.
This proves to be a decisive advantage during times of security incidents or performance degradation. Native AI intercepts threats and reroutes traffic before incidents occur, ensuring users experience no disruption.
Every microsecond saved adds to millions of decisions daily. The cumulative impact is faster threat mitigation, reduced downtime, and superior user experience.
In enterprises, data sovereignty and security containment are top priorities across the board. Embedded solutions ensure sensitive telemetry data stays within the security perimeter. Operational metrics, user behavior patterns, and infrastructure health data remain secure and contained. Embedded AI is an architectural choice designed to safeguard sensitive data and prevent security breaches.
External AI carries inherent risks. Every API call transmits intelligence to third-party systems. Even with encryption and contractual safeguards, exposing systems to expanded vulnerability points increases compliance exposure.
Operational data represents the most accurate picture of the service providerโs systems. Generic AI models often carry noise, bias, and inaccuracies. Built-in intelligence trains on verified, controlled, and curated information, ensuring greater data sovereignty and relevance.
Another clear advantage of native/embedded AI is the transparent cost structures. The upfront investment in development and integration supports predictable scaling alongside infrastructure growth. Operational expenses remain proportional to actual usage.
External AI imposes perpetual variable costs. API charges, data transfer fees, and integration overhead compounds indefinitely. Higher usage triggers billing surprises. Vendor pricing changes can shock and derail budget planning.
In network optimization, these costs can be high. External solutions charge per query, causing costs to escalate, often unpredictably, as network operations scale up. In contrast, embedded intelligence operates on predictable infrastructure costs, processing billions of routing decisions without per-transaction fees.
Built-in AI integrates seamlessly with existing operational frameworks. Monitoring, alerting, and orchestration tools already speak the same language. Updates happen through established pipelines. Troubleshooting uses familiar, pre-set methodologies.
On the other hand, external solutions fragment the service providerโs operational landscape. Each integration requires custom connections, security configurations, authentication protocols, and error handling, adding complexity to the process. Managing multiple vendor relationships, SLAs, and support channels becomes an additional task. Overhead rises as more external tools are added, teams waste time switching between platforms, documentation piles up, and knowledge silos are created.
Native or embedded intelligence goes beyond technical superiority. It is architectural sovereignty. Itโs the control over the capabilities that differentiates a service providerโs operations from its competitors.
External AI treats intelligence as a commodity. Every competitor gains identical capabilities. There is no uniqueness. And operational advantages diminish when everyone accesses the same third-party source.
Network optimization makes this dynamic clear. Embedded AI learns specific traffic patterns, partner and peer relationships, and capacity constraints. It generates proprietary insights that external models, trained on aggregated industry data, cannot match.
Built-in intelligence improves over time. As infrastructure evolves, native AI adapts organically. External solutions force adaptation to vendor updates and changes, not the other way around.
The choice between embedded and external AI ultimately determines whether intelligence becomes a competitive moat or a rented commodity. For organizations serious about operational excellence, native intelligence isnโt just preferable. Itโs essential.
[Taipei, Taiwan โ March 17, 2026] โ AsiaRF, a global leader in wireless connectivity solutions, is proud to announce it has achieved Rank 243 in the โHigh-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2026โ list, compiled by the Financial Times and Statista.
This prestigious ranking identifies the top 500 companies in the Asia-Pacific region that achieved the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue between 2021 and 2024. AsiaRFโs inclusion reflects its exceptional performance and rapid expansion in the competitive wireless communication market.
Driving the Future of Connectivityย In recent years, AsiaRF has reached significant milestones through the development and mass production of cutting-edge technologies, includingย Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)ย modules andย Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah)solutions. By providing robust, high-performance hardware for IoT, industrial automation, and enterprise networking, AsiaRF has solidified its position as a trusted partner for B2B clients worldwide.
โWe are honored to be recognized by the Financial Times as one of the fastest-growing companies in the region,โ said by Paul Lai, the CEOย of AsiaRF. โThis achievement is a testament to our teamโs dedication to innovation and our commitment to delivering world-class wireless solutions. As we look forward, we remain focused on scaling our impact and helping our customers navigate the evolving landscape of global connectivity.โ
About the FT High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2026ย The FT High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific 2026 is a joint initiative by the Financial Times and Statista. It ranks the top 500 companies from 13 countries and territories across the region based on revenue growth. The full rankings and detailed analysis are available on FT.com.
?ย Check out FT ranking: High-growth companies Asia-Pacific 2026 full rank
About AsiaRFย Founded in 1996, AsiaRF is a premier manufacturer of wireless communication solutions. Specializing in high-performance Wi-Fi modules and customized IoT hardware, AsiaRF is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of connectivity to empower businesses and industries globally.
SAN JOSE, Calif., Mar 10, 2026 — Synaptics Incorporated (Nasdaq:ย SYNA), today announced the SYN765x, an AI-native wireless solution that redefines Edge intelligence. As an industry-leading single-chip device combining AI-optimized compute with integrated Wi-Fiยฎ 7, the SYN765x is designed to bring scalable, real-time intelligence directly to smart appliances, home automation systems, and Industrial IoT (IIoT) applications.
SYN765x integrates Wi-Fi 7, Bluetoothยฎ LE 6.0, and Thread/Zigbee across 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands. Dedicated on-chip acceleration supports predefined AI-native control and signal-processing functions, reducing host processor load, while meeting strict latency and power requirements.
Built for high-performance wireless connectivity, the SYN765x pairs essential compute as a convenient, on-chip companion for smart devices at the Edge. Its single-chip integration significantly reduces system space requirements, simplifies design, and offers both engineering flexibility and cost savings.
By bringing advanced Wi-Fi 7 capabilities to low-power designs, SYN765x helps enable lower latency, seamless band switching, fast and secure reconnections, and access to the interference-free 6 GHz spectrum. Until now, power and cost constraints have limited adoption of the latest Wi-Fi standards in embedded systems. This solution meaningfully reduces these barriers, accelerating next-generation Wi-Fi adoption across Edge IoT devices.
The SYN765x also enables advanced wireless sensing, including presence detection, motion tracking, and proximity awareness using standard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals. For Wi-Fi sensing, it combines high-accuracy Channel State Information (CSI) extraction with on-device machine learning. This differentiated architecture is designed to deliver high accuracy and reliability, supporting a broader range of sensing use cases compared to other connectivity solutions in its class.
In addition, Bluetooth Channel Sounding enables accurate, power-efficient distance measurements under typical operating conditions โ offering an alternative to more expensive technologies such as mmWave radar or ultra-wideband. Integrated logic, DSP, and NPU resources provide a high-performance platform for embedded Edge AI workloads, while AI-driven contextual awareness enhances power efficiency.
The SYN765x supports flexible deployment models. It can operate as a co-processor alongside a host application processor or MCU, or function in standalone and host-less configurations thanks to its generous on-chip memory and processing resources. By eliminating the need for a separate microcontroller in many designs, the SYN765x significantly reduces system complexity and costโoffering a new class of high-performance, battery-powered IoT devices.
โIntelligence at the Edge demands uncompromising wireless performance,โ said Vikram Gupta, SVP & GM, Edge Compute & Connectivity Division, Synaptics. โSYN765x extends our leadership in wireless technology by integrating Wi-Fiยฎ 7, BLE, Thread/Zigbee with AI-native processing. This simplifies system design, lowers power and cost barriers, and accelerates adoption of next-generation wireless across consumer, industrial, and enterprise IoT markets.โ
SYN765x Features at a Glance:
Global customers and partners count on Synaptics to power the next generation of connected, AI-enabled IoT applications.
Gilles Drieu, Chief Technology Officer, ADT
โConnectivity is at the heart of everything we deliver to our customers. Our partnership with Synaptics enables us to build security solutions that are more reliable, intelligent, and responsive. Their portfolio of connectivity solutions gives us the flexibility and performance we need to design next-generation systems that protect homes more effectively, while remaining simple to deploy and manage.โ
Janet Wei, CEO, Ampak
โSynaptics has been a trusted technology partner for many years, and our longstanding collaboration has been instrumental in advancing connectivity solutions across a wide range of applications. Together, weโve consistently pushed the boundaries of performance, integration, and reliability, enabling customers worldwide to deploy robust, scalable wireless solutions and reinforcing our shared vision for the future of connected devices.โ
Spencer Maid, President and CEO, Origin AI
โSynaptics brings world-class AI and connectivity capabilities that perfectly complement Originโs AI Sensing platform. Together, weโre unlocking powerful new use cases that transform everyday environments into smarter, more adaptive spaces.โ
Andrew Zignani, Senior Research Director, ABI Research, Strategic Technologies Team
โArtificial intelligence has been migrating out from data centers throughout the network, and now the Edge is truly ripe for local AI. From factory equipment, where reliability and security are key, to consumer electronics, where price sensitivity and privacy is acute, to wearables, where weight, size, and battery life are critical, Synapticsโ latest offering effectively balances and optimizes computing and reliable, future proof connectivity to better serve the evolving requirements and growing diversity of product types found at the network Edge.โ
Mohit Agrawal, Global Practice Head for Edge AI and IoT, Counterpoint Research
โThe shift from cloud-centric IoT architectures to real-time Edge intelligence is accelerating, particularly as latency, privacy, and bandwidth efficiency become critical design priorities. Integrating AI acceleration with Wi-Fi 7 on a single SoC represents an important step forward for the AIoT ecosystem. As Wi-Fi 7 adoption expands over the next several years, solutions that tightly couple on-device inference with high-performance connectivity will be well positioned to support next-generation smart home, industrial, and infrastructure applications.โ
Availability
The Synaptics SYN765x solution is expected to begin sampling in the second calendar quarter of 2026, with production targeted at the last calendar quarter of 2026. Development kits are expected to be available for sampling in calendar Q2 2026.
In just a few years, AI has leaped from research labs to the real world. As this momentum accelerates, AI is no longer a vision, but a reality. One which is not confined to the cloud, instead quickly moving to the edge. Generative AI, agentic AI and physical AI are now being embedded directly into the devices and infrastructure that power our world. This imminent shift changes the game, especially for teams moving from prototype to production โ success depends not on training the largest models, but on deploying AI that is efficient, secure and scalable where it matters the most. At Qualcomm Technologies, our edge AI processors portfolio is purpose-built for this future, designed to enable intelligence across industries, from early validation to scaled deployment.
Thatโs the difference between edge AI in theory and edge AI in production. Edge AI is where artificial intelligence matures from only running in centralized data centers to distributed, real-world deployments. Real-time decisions can’t wait for the cloud. Sensitive data can’t risk exposure. Billions of devices can’t rely on constant connectivity. Purpose-built edge AI processors solve all these challenges, embedding intelligence directly into the devices and AI appliances.
Our journey in industrial and embedded IoT began many years ago, culminating in the launch of our most advanced, industrial-grade Dragonwing IQ Series processors in 2024, including the Dragonwing IQ6, IQ8ย and IQ9. These processors are designed to bring AI to the edge across factories, warehouses and infrastructure. In 2025, we expanded this portfolio with the Dragonwing IQ-X Series, powering the next generation industrial PCs running Microsoft Windows. Most recently at CES 2026, we unveiled our flagship Dragonwing IQ10 Series of industrial processors, marking our entry into advanced robotics.
Together, this comprehensive portfolio is designed to enable us to scale edge intelligence without forcing teams to re-architect as they grow across every industrial vertical and tier, supporting AI processing from 1 TOPS for sensor-level intelligence to 350 dense TOPS for complex vision and decision-making tasks. For customers requiring even greater AI capability, our AI on-premises appliances deliver peta-flop-class performance and can run 200B-parameter models on a single system. This enterprise-grade performance keeps data and processing local, which is an important capability for industrial applications with strict security, privacy, reliability and latency requirements.
At Embedded World 2026 in Nuremberg, weโre bringing more than 20 demonstrations powered by our industrial processors and AI on-prem appliances. These demos reflect the momentum weโve built turning prototypes into deployable systems to drive digital transformation across industries, in close collaboration with our partner ecosystem, to make AI real and scalable. This theme is explored across distinct focus areas including developer enablement and solutions that span from commercial and industrial to robotics. If you are at the show, be sure to drop by our booth in Hall 5, Stand #5-161. If not, let me spotlight a selection of these areas to illustrate how edge AI is delivering value across multiple verticals and use cases.
Powered by the Dragonwing IQ8-Series processor, the Arduino VENTUNO Q combines Arduino’s developer-friendly ecosystem with industrial-grade edge AI performance of up to 40 dense TOPS. This new platform democratizes access to production-ready AI development, enabling engineers to rapidly build and deploy edge AI systems. To showcase its capabilities, we have multiple demos on display at the Qualcomm and Arduino booths, including an interactive smart mirror, an engaging chatbot, an AMR and more.
For the broader industrial use cases, we are bringing several demos in coordination with partners to highlight how connected intelligence can help enhance operational efficiency, safety and productivity. Below, let me spotlight four important use cases:
Collaborating with Qt Group and Edge Impulse, we are making great strides aimed at radically improving the development experience for AI-driven industrial software. Our demonstration exhibits distributed edge AI on multiple interconnected manufacturing sites. Powered by Dragonwing IQ9, the demo showcases four AI applications โ visual defect detection, equipment fault detection, worker safety and AI factory assistant โ with multiple AI models operating simultaneously. Additionally, we enabled Dragonwing IQ6-based Human Machine Interface (HMI) devices running on-device face detection for operator access and AI tethering with Dragonwing IQ9 to leverage AI factory assistant remotely. With AI tethering, operators using Dragonwing IQ6-based HMIs are not limited by the on-device AI and simple monitoring of the data, but they are able to leverage the power of Dragonwing IQ9 to help get prescriptive responses on the defects and manufacturing lines.
By analyzing visual data in real time, edge AI can be trained to detect defects, variations and anomalies early on the manufacturing line, improving production yield, reducing waste and helping to ensure consistent quality. In collaboration with CODESYS, we are demonstrating an industrial PC for PCB defect detection, running Windows on Dragonwing IQ-X that supports EtherCAT, motor control, image processing and AI chatbot. It also demonstrates Qt for user interface.
PLC and HMI consolidation
We demonstrate consolidation of PLC and HMI functions on a single Dragonwing IQ9 platform through virtualization. Here, Real-Time Linux is used to runย CODESYSย for PLC application enabling low-jitter motor control over EtherCAT, while virtualized Windows HMI on the same Dragonwing IQ9 platform shows the data for monitoring and control. This consolidation of various functions and devices over single platform through virtualization is designed to give customers flexibility to implement, scale, add and modify capabilities as the factory evolves. Additionally, consolidation can lead to reduced hardware and maintenance costs.
A core challenge in industrial networking is connecting a diverse set of sensors and devices that support different connectivity standards. Our Dragonwing IQ9 based industrial gateway is purpose-built to address this, supporting 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, Ethernet and other communication standards, while designed to deliver powerful edge AI for sensor fusion and other edge AI workloads. Our demo aims to show how on-device vision processing can support worker safety, integrate with industrial SCADA systems to enable real-time production monitoring, and support simplified device management.
Edge AI redefines enterprise productivity and operations when itโs designed to deploy consistently at scale. With cutting-edge VLMs and LLMs, organizations can personalize interactions, improve efficiency and strengthen security, all while keeping data closer to where itโs generated. Here are a few demos that highlight edge AI in the commercial environment:
VLMs combine computer vision with naturalโlanguage reasoning to unlock richer video insights, from scene understanding to intelligent action triggering. Running these models at the edge enables faster decisions and stronger data privacy. Our demo showcases multiple Dragonwing IQ9โbased solutions, including a video surveillance demo based on the Qualcomm Insight Platform, a performance comparison against a competitorโs solution and an example of multiple VLM instances running simultaneously on a single device.
Our Dragonwing processor platforms also enable a wide range of AIโdriven retail experiences designed to elevate customer engagement. In collaboration withย BRICKS, weโre demonstrating an Dragonwing IQ9-based interactive digital signage solution that powers more intelligent, dynamic storefront interactions.
In collaboration with Consult Red, weโre also demonstrating a voiceโenabled fastโfood ordering kiosk that runs Android on Linux with the Dragonwing IQ9 industrial processor, featuring onโdevice voice control powered by multiple AI models. Using Android on Linux, we can now run modern Android apps on a highly powerful edge AI industrial platforms that are also ruggedized and come with long-life support.
Announced at CES 2026, the Edge Impulse On-Prem AI can enable secure local AI inference and MLOps for a wide range of use cases. Customers can run inference for models up to 120B parameters, like GPT-OSS 120B, at just 150W on one Qualcomm Cloud AI 100 Ultra card. This architecture offers enterprise-grade precision, secure operation, private networks and full offline support.
The appliance also powers onโpremise generative AI enterprise workloads, as demonstrated through collaborations with context.ai for content creation. In telecom, we have supported Lanner and Ecrio to enable telecom and generative AI applications. We also collaborate with partners like Aramco for oil & gas and Siemens for industrial projects. To scale, we work with hardware vendors such as Aetina, Advantech, XSLAB and AUK Computing.
Our Dragonwing processors are helping to power the future of physical AI, where prototype-to-production gaps are most visible, to deliver endโtoโend robotics solutions that scale intelligence from household robots to fullโsize humanoids. Our demos showcase our work with partners and customers across a broad range of robotics use cases. We are also highlighting how we scale robotics development and deployment, from rapid prototyping on Dragonwing IQ8 with VENTUNO Q to an Advantech and Autocore AMR prototype, and more. Learn more about our latest robotics progress.
We are also launching Dragonwing Robotics Hub, built on the Arduino Project Hub, to accelerate this journey with readyโtoโrun samples and endโtoโend workflows spanning sensors, Dragonwing compute, edge AI and robotics control, complete with schematics, documentation, tutorials and reusable sample code. Learn more about our latest robotics progress.
At Qualcomm Technologies, we’re not just talking about transforming industries, we’re leading it. Through our integrated portfolio of purpose-built edge AI solutions, we’re working closely with industry leaders to solve real-world challenges across industrial, commercial, robotics and beyond to help teams move from evaluation to deployment with confidence.
The momentum is accelerating and 2026 promises to be a pivotal year for scaling AI to the edge. Follow us for upcoming announcements as we continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
