SALT gets its first word in the dictionary

January 23, 2006 – Merriam-Webster recently announced the publication of its latest Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th Edition), the flagship reference book used around the world. Included within this print and online edition for the first time is the term Wi-Fi®.

The exact reference is:
Wi-Fi (certification mark) – Used to certify the interoperability of wireless computer networking devices.

This marks the first time a brand created by SALT® Branding has been included in the dictionary. Although SALT has named hundreds of companies, products, services, and technologies – including Microsoft’s next-generation Windows Vista, mobile entertainment leader GLU, wine service Vinfolio, and the new energy soda Vault from Coca-Cola – this is the first time that a brand named by SALT has expanded beyond its original context and become so entrenched in contemporary culture as to be included in a dictionary of the English language.

“Creating a word that has become part of everyday language is quite fantastic by itself,” said Paul Parkin, SALT’s Creative Director. “Watching it become a defining term for the wireless generation and now seeing it in the dictionary is really incredible.”

Back in 1999, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers set the standards for Ethernet-based local- and wide-area networks (LANS and WANS) identified by the catchy specification – IEEE 802.11b – an Ethernet technology that allows users to connect to the internet from anywhere within the range of a base station at speeds of up to 54Mbps. Recognizing that this technical jargon wasn’t going to be understood by the general population, a consortium of Industry leaders (formerly WECA, and now The Wi-Fi Alliance) decided that the technology needed a consumer-friendly brand. That’s where the founders of SALT came in.

“We needed to create a friendly and understandable term that people would remember,” said Rick Herrick, Principal at SALT, and the man behind the name. “Making the name accessible was key, so we used a reference point that people already understood and coined Wi-Fi, (like Hi-Fi) for Wireless Fidelity.”

To identify Wi-Fi compatible products and Wi-Fi enabled locations, SALT Partner Cesar Chin created the iconic logo that now appears on millions of devices and locations around the world. Since then, The Wi-Fi Alliance has expanded to over 200 member companies manufacturing over 2,200 certified devices – and now that the term is in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. It looks like Wi-Fi is here to stay.

For more information on Wi-Fi please visit http://www.wi-fi.org or to order your copy of the dictionary, please visit http://www.merriamwebster.com

About SALT
SALT is a full-service branding, design, and communications company that helps build leading brands. With its distinctively practical mindset, SALT provides a full range of integrated branding services including brand strategy, naming, design, communications, advertising, and corporate culture. SALT has developed leading brands and programs for a diverse set of companies ranging from Fortune 500s to VC-funded start-ups, including Avaya, Bank of Hawaii, Coca-Cola, Disney, EMBARQ, Fatbrain, Genentech, Glu Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile365, Nissan, Palm, Sprint, Wellpoint, Wi-Fi, and Xerox. SALT – the essential ingredient for branding leaders.

For more information on SALT, please contact:

Paul Parkin
SALT Branding
415.616.1506
paul@saltbranding.com