Ruckus Wireless, Inc. (NYSE: RKUS) today announced David Stephenson has joined the company as Senior Principal Engineer within its System Architecture group. The current chair of the Wi-Fi Alliance® Hotspot 2.0 Technical Task Group, Stephenson has over 20 years of networking experience and actively participates in a number of industry organizations including the the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) and GSMA industry trade associations.
Prior to joining Ruckus, Mr. Stephenson worked at Cisco Systems for nearly 14 years within its Wireless Networking Business Unit. At Cisco, Stephenson was responsible for the technical architecture of Hotspot 2.0, driving that program since 2009. Having drafted much of the IEEE 802.11u amendment, Stephenson also held the position of Secretary for the IEEE 802.11 TGu, and worked on both the Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 Specification as well as the Mobility Services Advertisement Protocol (MSAP).
“One of the things that drew me to Ruckus is their industry commitment to helping make Wi-Fi easier to use – for both subscribers and service providers,” said Stephenson. “I am equally gratified to have been retained as chair of the Hotspot 2.0 Technical Task Group, allowing me to continue leading the group’s vital work that helps realize the Wi-Fi Alliance vision of seamless connectivity.”
“In the networking world, having Dave join Ruckus Wireless is like signing LeBron James,” said Steve Martin, senior VP of Engineering for Ruckus Wireless. “His background and experience give Ruckus invaluable insight and skills for taking Wi-Fi where it’s never been before. As a major proponent of the Hotspot 2.0 initiative, Ruckus continues to accelerate further industry adoption of Wi-Fi by service providers. Dave will play a critical role in driving this effort.”
Stephenson received his Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and his Bachelor of Science degree in electronic engineering from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He has 30 patents issued on which he is listed as a named inventor and a number of pending patent applications.