Ruckus Wireless has hired David Stephenson, formerly with Cisco Systems, as senior principal engineer within its System Architecture group.

Stephenson worked at Cisco for nearly 14 years within its Wireless Networking Business Unit, where he was responsible for the technical architecture of Hotspot 2.0.

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).

Stephenson is the current chair of the Wi-Fi Alliance Hotspot 2.0 Technical Task Group.

Stephenson has more than 20 years of networking experience and actively participates in a number of industry organizations, including the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) and GSMA industry trade associations.

“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,” Stephenson said. “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 vice president 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.”