The two groups developing ultrawideband (UWB) technology failed to come to agreement on a single solution: As a result, the IEEE group responsible for finalizing the standard didn't get the votes required to move onto the next stage of the standardization process. That means ultimately the two groups, the Multiband-OFDM Alliance on one side and Motorola, which recently announced intentions to acquire Xtreme Spectrum, on the other, may develop separate standards.
Analysts are concerned that a splintered vendor market may prohibit UWB from success, and rightly so. Even worse, the two groups might push incompatible products into the marketplace, leaving the consumer to make the choice with the wasted money and non-upgradable hardware that comes from that process.