Wificom raises $1.45 million

French software maker Wificom Technologies said Tuesday that it has raised $1.45 million in venture funding. Founded in 2000, the company develops software that helps high-speed Internet service providers with billing, authentication, roaming, pricing, content and network management for wireless services. The investment came from British venture capital firm 3i Group.

Access to wireless LANs (local area networks) using the 802.11b standard--also known as Wi-Fi--lets anyone with a laptop or PDA (personal digital assistant) and a modem wirelessly connect to the Internet when situated up to 300 feet from a wireless access point. Wireless LANs have spread into nearly 30 million homes and offices, and analysts say that figure may double in the next few years.