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Statement of Policies and Rules of Conduct

The WideBand Gigabit Networking Alliance (WGNA) is an association whose purpose is to promote the development of an open standard for WideBand Gigabit Networking Technology, which standard will encourage interoperability across a broad spectrum of hardware platforms, operating systems, and applications.

Objectives

  1. Contribute to the establishment of WideBand Gigabit Networking as an industry standard and to the technical longevity of the WideBand Architecture.
  2. Establish standards and specify technical guidelines for WideBand Gigabit Networking Systems, and rules of interaction for communications to and within a WideBand Networking environment.
  3. Contribute reasonable resources to facilitate technical investigation of specifications that may be considered for the WideBand Gigabit Networking Open Standard.
  4. Support the establishment of new companies developing products implementing the WideBand Networking Architecture and the demonstration of interoperability among those companies' products.
  5. Support the establishment and demonstration of interoperability between products implementing the WideBand Networking Architecture and other networking technologies.
  6. Support the establishment and demonstration of interoperability of products implementing the WideBand Networking architecture with a wide range of operating systems and applications software.
  7. Support the establishment and demonstration of new applications for products implementing the WideBand Networking architecture.
  8. Publish Standards and Specifications established by the WideBand Gigabit Networking Alliance as well as the results of workgroup findings, technical investigations and benchmark tests conducted under the auspices of the WGNA.
  9. Make the results of WGNA activities available to all interested parties on reasonable terms applied uniformly and openly.
Scope

The WideBand Gigabit Networking Alliance will remain active as long as:
  1. A formal set of guidelines and standards are established for WideBand Networking Technologies and accepted by the industries who are developing products which incorporate the WideBand concept and;
  2. Interest continues for technical advancement of WideBand Networking Technologies and;
  3. Companies continue to push for new product development incorporating the WideBand concept.
Membership

Membership is granted on a company basis and is open to all interested parties. A prospective member company must have a demonstrated interest in supporting the objectives and goals of WGNA and have knowledge and expertise in Local Area Networking systems and/or related technologies which work in conjunction with or connect to Local Area Networks.

All members are expected to use reasonable effort to promote WideBand Gigabit Networking Technology in the public and technical arenas and to support the decisions of the WGNA, but members are in no way restricted from delivering proposals or delivering products compliant to specifications beyond or competitive with those proposed by WGNA.

Member participation in any Workgroup and the contribution of any time or resources by any member does not grant any licenses, expressed or implied, of that member's proprietary intellectual property to the WGNA or its member organizations.

  1. Founding Members

    Founding Members are the original members of the WGNA. Founding Members are expected to participate in WGNA activities and to contribute time and reasonable resources to the Workgroups with which they are involved. Founding Membership privileges include:
    1. Appointment to the Steering Committee.

    2. Right to attend WGNA meetings and workgroup meetings for which they are members, and to receive copies of WGNA communications, reports and materials.

    3. Right to participate in workgroups and the privilege of voting on issues within the workgroups on which they are serving.

    4. Founding members may be appointed to chair workgroups.

    5. Right to submit proposals to the WGNA for new specifications, revisions or addendum to existing specifications, and other matters pertaining to the WGNA.

    6. Right to receive up to 8 hours per year of consultation on issues pertaining to WideBand Technologies from a team of specialists which shall be maintained by the International Academy of Science for this purpose. Additional consultation may be obtained at a preferred rate reserved for WGNA Members.

    7. Right for up to three persons within the Member's organization to participate in WideBand Gigabit Training Courses offered and conducted by the International Academy of Science on behalf of WGNA. Additional enrollments may be obtained at a preferred WGNA rate.

    8. Founding Member dues.

  2. Steering Committee Members

    Steering Committee Members are expected to participate in WGNA activities and to contribute time and reasonable resources to the over-seeing of the work and objectives of the WGNA. They are expected to regularly attend meetings of the Steering Committee. The right to participate on the Steering Committee includes the privilege of voting on issues and proposals before the Committee. Steering Committee membership privileges include:

    1. Right to attend and participate in all Steering Committee meetings.

    2. Right to attend all WGNA meetings and to receive copies of WGNA communications, reports and materials.

    3. Right to participate in workgroups and the privilege of voting on issues within the workgroups on which they are serving.

    4. Steering Committee members may be appointed to chair workgroups.

    5. Right to submit proposals to the WGNA for new specifications, revisions or addendum to existing specifications, and other matters pertaining to the WGNA.

    6. Right to receive up to 8 hours per year of consultation on issues pertaining to WideBand Technologies from a team of specialists which shall be maintained by the International Academy of Science for this purpose. Additional consultation may be obtained at a preferred rate reserved for WGNA Members.

    7. Right for up to three persons within the Member's organization to participate in WideBand Gigabit Training Courses offered and conducted by the International Academy of Science on behalf of WGNA. Additional enrollments may be obtained at a preferred WGNA rate.

  3. Contributing Members

    Contributing Members are expected to participate in WGNA activities and to contribute time and reasonable resources to the Workgroups which they are involved with. Contributing membership privileges includes:
    1. Right to attend WGNA meetings and workgroup meetings for which they are members, and to receive copies of WGNA communications, reports and materials.

    2. Contributing members may be appointed to chair workgroups.

    3. Right to participate in workgroups and the privilege of voting on issues within the workgroups on which they are serving.

    4. Right to submit proposals to the WGNA for new specifications, revisions or addendum to existing specifications, and other matters pertaining to the WGNA.

    5. Right to receive up to 4 hours per year of consultation on issues pertaining to WideBand Technologies from a team of specialists which shall be maintained by the International Academy of Science for this purpose. Additional consultation may be obtained at a preferred rate reserved for WGNA Members.

    6. Right for up to three persons within the Member's organization to participate in WideBand Gigabit Training Courses offered and conducted by the International Academy of Science on behalf of WGNA. Additional enrollments may be obtained at a preferred WGNA rate.

  4. Members

    Members may participate in WGNA activities and contribute time and reasonable resources to the Workgroups which they are involved with. Associate membership privileges include:

    1. Right to attend WGNA meetings and workgroup meetings for which they are members, and to receive copies of WGNA communications, reports and materials.

    2. Right to participate in workgroups and the privilege of voting on issues within the workgroups on which they are serving.

    3. Right to submit proposals to the WGNA for new specifications, revisions or addendum to existing specifications, and other matters pertaining to the WGNA.

    4. Right to receive consultation on issues pertaining to WideBand Technologies from a team of specialists which shall be maintained by the International Academy of Science for this purpose. Consultation may be obtained at a preferred rate reserved for WGNA Members.

    5. Right for persons within the Member's organization to participate in WideBand Gigabit Training Courses offered and conducted by the International Academy of Science on behalf of WGNA at a preferred WGNA rate.

  5. Academic Members

    Academic Membership is available for institutions of higher education. Academic Members may participate in WGNA activities and contribute time and reasonable resources to the Workgroups which they are involved with. Academic membership privileges include:

      Right to attend WGNA meetings and workgroup meetings for which they are members, and to receive copies of WGNA communications, reports and materials.

    1. Right to participate in workgroups and the privilege of voting on issues within the workgroups on which they are serving.

    2. Right to submit proposals to the WGNA for new specifications, revisions or addendum to existing specifications, and other matters pertaining to the WGNA.

  6. Associate Members

    Associate Members may attend WGNA meetings and activities and receive copies of WGNA communications, reports and materials.

  7. Press Members

    Press Members may attend WGNA meetings and activities and receive copies of WGNA communications, reports and materials.

Dues and Fees

Reasonable dues and fees for each class of members (i.e., Steering Committee Members, Contributing Members, Members, and Associate Members) will be established from time to time by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee may suspend any member who is delinquent in payment of dues or fees from participation in the workgroups and/or general WGNA activities.

Any member may avoid liability for dues or fees by promptly submitting a written resignation upon notification of the dues or fees. However, no dues or fees will be refunded to any member whose membership terminates for any reason, and termination will not waive a member's obligation for any previous-assessed and accepted dues or fees that are delinquent.

Compliance With Law

It is the desire and intention of the WGNA and its members to operate and conduct business in a manner that complies with applicable law, including but not limited to US and foreign antitrust laws. Without limiting the foregoing, all members will comply with the WideBand Gigabit Networking Alliance Antitrust Guidelines (A current copy of which is attached to these Rules), and ensure that each of its representatives attending WGNA meetings has received a copy of such guidelines.

Resignation, Suspension or Termination

Any member may resign as a Steering Committee, Contributing, or Associate Member, effective immediately, by submitting a written resignation to the Chairman. A member may be suspended or expelled from participation in the Steering Committee and/or the WGNA for failure to pay dues and fees as may be required, or for conduct which is seriously detrimental to the best interests of the WGNA, including, but not limited to, a violation of the WGNA's Antitrust Guidelines. Suspension or expulsion will be by a majority vote of the Steering Committee after fifteen (15) days written notice to the member. However, termination of a Steering Committee Member will be automatic on that member's fifth (5th) consecutive absence from Committee meetings.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee will be comprised of a maximum of 15 members of which 7 will be Technical Directors appointed annually by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is responsible for oversight of all WGNA activities. The Steering Committee oversees the activities of the workgroups, selects the workgroup Chair, and facilitates workgroup progress. The Steering Committee elects a Chair and Vice-Chair. The Chair is responsible for the overall efforts of the Steering Committee. The Vice-Chair fills in for the Chair on an as-needed basis. The Chair and Vice-Chair are elected annually.

Technical Directors are volunteers and are required to volunteer a reasonable amount of time and resources to the Workgroups of the WGNA. Responsibilities of the Technical Directors includes Chairing Technical Workgroups and standing as a liaison and public spokesperson between the WGNA and industry. Technical Directors are independent members of the Steering Committee and as such have the same privileges as other Steering Committee members including voting rights and the right to submit proposals to the WGNA.

Steering Committee meetings are conducted under standard parliamentary procedure. All meetings will be regularly scheduled, or all participating members must receive at least a one week notice. An agenda and minutes will be prepared for each meeting and distributed to all Steering Committee Members.

Each Steering Committee Member has a single vote. There are no absentee or proxy votes. Steering Committee Members must attend to vote and sufficient members must be available to form a quorum. A quorum shall consist of a body of at least two-thirds of the then existing members of the Steering Committee; however, such members' attendance may be via electronic means such as a teleconference call. Votes are carries by simple majority with the exception of alteration of the Policy Statement and Rules of Conduct, and suspension or expulsion of members, which require a three-fourths majority.

Steering Committee members are expected to actively participate in the meetings of the Committee. Failure to attend 5 consecutive meetings of the Committee will automatically terminate the members standing on the Committee.

New Steering Committee memberships will be appointed by a majority vote of the Steering Committee when vacancies occur. Any WGNA member is eligible to be considered for participation on the Steering Committee. A list will be kept by the Secretary identifying those members interested in participating as Steering Committee members. New Steering Committee Member applicants are considered by the Steering Committee using relevant criteria which would include but is not limited to:

  1. Technical resources the member organization would bring to the Committee

  2. Commitment to the goals and objectives of the WGNA

  3. Involvement with the technical community

The International Academy of Science

The International Academy of Science (Academy) is the Host organization for the WGNA and as such is a permanent member of the Steering

Committee and shall appoint a WGNA Secretary. The Academy will provide administrative and technical support to the WGNA. The responsibilities of the Academy include:

  1. Collection of WGNA dues
  2. Hosting WGNA Meetings
  3. Dissemination of materials and documents of the WGNA
  4. Performance of interoperability testing and certification
  5. Technical consulting and training
Master Document

A "Master Document" will be created and updated which will contain the WideBand Gigabit Networking Standards and Specifications. The International Academy of Science will be responsible for maintaining the Master Document of the WideBand Gigabit Networking Standards and Specifications. The following procedures will be utilized in creating and maintaining that Document.

  1. Procedures for Submitting Proposals

    All members of WGNA may submit proposals for consideration as part of the WideBand Gigabit Networking Open Standard. Such proposals will be assigned to a Technical Workgroup for evaluation.

  2. Format of Proposals

    The originator of a proposal must submit it in writing either through electronic mail to proposals@wgna.org, or printed copy. Faxed copies are also acceptable but the original must be sent in to the WGNA Steering Committee after the FAX has been transmitted. Proposals should be sent to Secretary of the WGNA at the following address:

      WGNA Steering Committee c/o International Academy of Science 26900 East Pink Hill Road Independence, MO 64057-3284 USA FAX: (816) 229-1000

  3. Contents of Proposals

    Incomplete proposals will be returned. The following information must be included in the proposal:

    1. A description of the functional changes proposed and the benefits of those changes.

    2. An assessment of the impact to the existing revision of the WGNA Standards and Specifications, and systems that conform to those Standards and Specifications.

    3. An analysis of the hardware and software implications.

  4. Procedures for Evaluating Proposals

    Upon receipt of a proposal the Secretary will forward the request to a Technical Director. This Technical Director will have two weeks to evaluate the proposal and return it to the Secretary with one of the following recommendations:

    1. Return to the originator with a request for additional information.

    2. Distribute to members of a Technical Workgroup.

    Technical Workgroups will be appointed by the Steering Committee and chaired by a Technical Director to study proposals submitted. All active members of the WGNA are eligible for participation in the Technical Workgroup efforts. At the first meeting of the Technical Workgroup assigned to review a particular proposal, a schedule for meetings and completion dates will be proposed. These schedules will be submitted to the Steering Committee for approval. Upon completion of the review of the proposal, the Technical Workgroup will decide by a majority vote whether or not to approve the proposal.

    Proposals which have been reviewed and approved by a Technical Workgroup will be returned to the Secretary. The Secretary will send written documentation of the approved proposal(s) to WGNA membership. Members have thirty days to review the proposal and send it back to the Secretary. One of four responses is acceptable:

      Agreement with the proposal in its entirety

    1. Agreement if the proposal is modified as follows (modifications must be specified in writing)

    2. Disagreement for the following reasons (reasons for disagreement must be specified in writing)

    3. Abstention

    The Secretary compiles the member's responses and sends all the inputs back to the originator and to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee members then have thirty days to review all recommendations and vote for one of the following:

      Approval

    1. Approval with specified modifications to the original proposal
    2. Rejection for reasons

    3. Abstention

    4. Call for a meeting to discuss

    The Secretary compiles the results of the vote. A majority of the Steering Committee must indicate the proposal is approved without modification in order for the proposal to pass. If significant modification to the proposal is required, the Steering Committee can propose forming a Technical Workgroup to make the appropriate modifications and to resubmit the proposal. The Chair notifies the WGNA's membership of the voting results by way of the Secretary. Each WGNA member has thirty (30) days to protest or appeal the vote. Protests or appeals must be made in writing to the Secretary. After 30 days, if there is no protest or appeal, the Chair submits the proposal to the International Academy of Science for incorporation into the Master Document of the WideBand Gigabit Networking Standards and Specifications.

  5. Re-submission and Appeals

    The originator of a proposal that was not approved can redraft the original proposal. The rewritten proposal will be treated as a new proposal and will be evaluated using the procedures described above. The originator of a proposal that was not approved can also submit an appeal to the WGNA's Steering Committee. The appeal must be in writing and addressed to the Secretary.

License Policy

All patent holders who contribute to any specifications or standards adopted by the WGNA must provide written assurance to the Steering Committee that either:

  1. A license will be made available without compensation to applicants desiring to utilize the license for the purpose of implementing the specification or standard of reference, or,

  2. A license will be made available to applicants under reasonable terms and conditions that are demonstrably free of any unfair discrimination.

Information Disclosure and Proprietary Rights

All WideBand Gigabit Networking Alliance public communications, including but not limited to publications, technical reports and press releases, must be approved by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee also appoints consultants and contractors as needed to assist in the administration and activities of the WGNA, and monitors the WGNA's relationships with such persons.No information disclosed at the WideBand Gigabit Networking Alliance meetings is confidential to any particular member. The WGNA may identify member companies by name in its publications and other materials. Confidentiality Members agree that the business of the WGNA is confidential and shall not be disclosed until approved to be made public by the Steering Committee.Disclaimer of Liability Between Members The members of the WGNA agree that it is a voluntary organization set up for the mutual benefits of its members, the computer networking industry and the public at large. Group members shall not be liable to each other for action taken in compliance with these Policies and Rules of Conduct.

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Copyright © 1997 WGNA
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