Gateway to release wireless access points

Gateway Inc. will unveil its first wireless access points on April 6, as the company continues to branch outside its traditional PC base.

The Gateway 7000 series access points will be available in single-band and dual-band configurations for enterprise customers. The 802.11b and 802.11g wireless standards operate on the 2.4GHz band of the electromagnetic frequency, while the 802.11a standard uses the 5GHz band.

Pricing was not immediately available, but Gateway promised it would be "incredibly disruptive," according to a media alert distributed by a Gateway representative.

Gateway also plans to launch a new family of enterprise network switches for small and medium-size businesses on April 6.

The Poway, California, company has launched dozens of consumer electronics and enterprise IT products over the last year in an attempt to diversify the company's revenue streams.

At this time last year, the PC market was in dire straits, although it has since rebounded. Gateway's fortunes in the PC market have not, and the company has continued to lose money despite carving out a new business with digital televisions and other consumer electronics devices.