Taipei, Taiwan-based D-Link Corporation has been making networking products for nearly as long as there have been networks to make them for. Since 1986, the company, founded as Datex Systems Inc., has been making and providing all types of networking equipment and services for every level of need.
Right now, D-Link are refocusing on the new needs of the modern consumer; getting ready for the transition to IPv6 and piping more bandwidth throughout the home.
According to Lou Reda, vice-president and general manager of the consumer division of D-Link, “what’s changing now in customers internet surfing behaviour is a lot more video in the home.” While the Boxee Box has been successful in helping turn your TV into an Internet streaming PC, D-Link are introducing a new line of wireless networking devices to match the increased demand for video.
He says it’s a question of answering the demand assessed as the “customer pain point.” Through observation and feedback, D-Link have witnessed an increasing amount of users that need faster and fuller signal to keep up with services like Netflix, services which Reda says are “pushing the limits of content.”
The Amplifi brand, announced Wednesday, will increase the wireless range of home networks while offering more streaming bandwidth than even current N-band routers can provide, Reda says.
Derek Silva, research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group, says of the anniversary, “if there’s a renewed focus it’s probably going to be chopping some unsuccessful product lines.” He’s witnessed similar behaviour in Cisco with its consumer brand Linksys.
If anything, however, D-Link seems to be expanding, and even attempting to strengthen its business products. Reda pointed out the recently announced MainStage adapter that was announced recently. It uses Mountain View, Calif.-based Intel Corporation’s WiDi 2.0 technology to stream video from your computer wirelessly to your TV. The business angle is that you can “transition from source to source seamlessly”, Reda says, which could be invaluable during a meeting.
But the main thrust of D-Link’s anniversary is IPv6 education Reda says. Not only has D-Link set up a dedicated IPv6 education portal (http://www.dlink.com/ipv6), but its entire product line has been updated to the new standard.
Reda says D-Link is concerned both with helping consumers “understanding the importance of what a router does within the home,” and “leading as a technology company in this area and making sure customers are ready.”