Alvarion, one of WiMAX's biggest champions over the years, appears ready to exit the business, potentially stamping a black mark on the entire ecosystem. In disclosing Alvarion's first-quarter 2012 financial results, Hezi Lapid, president and CEO, said the company is exploring "a variety of options for the carrier-licensed business," which is the new name the company has given to its WiMAX unit. Alvarion's statements could be potentially devastating for the WiMAX industry, which has failed to keep up with the market momentum surrounding LTE. Alvarion's "de facto surrender in the space may signal one of the final votes of no-confidence in the ecosystem, which could hamper sales of WiMAX gear sector-wide by staining the WiMAX brand," Ed Gubbins, analyst with Current Analysis, wrote in a brief. Check out this story for more on Alvarion and the WiMAX ecosystem.