Wi-fi failings pose profit for resellers

What the internet did to forever change access to information, the mobile internet is doing to alter the face of computer networks.

Companies and their solution providers must now deal with how to provide secure, fast and reliable access to a new world of smart devices that don’t have Ethernet ports. The only way into and out of these devices is 3G or wi-fi - neither of which have a strong history of performing well.

With the barrage of data traffic hitting corporate networks from these new wi-fi-enabled smartphones, iPads and other bandwidth-hungry devices, enterprises must contend with data volumes that exceed network capacity and a crowded radio- frequency spectrum that is impossible to navigate.

Meanwhile, to keep costs down and sex appeal up, wireless support is often an afterthought. Low-powered wi-fi devices with mediocre antennas make it difficult for iPads and their networks to communicate with each other.

And as these wireless-only devices flood enterprise networks, user expectations for more reliable and pervasive connectivity are exploding. Nearly every vertical market, from schools to hotels, hospitals to small and medium businesses understand the value of wi-fi beyond simple and convenient connectivity. This is welcome news for resellers.

What’s wrong with wi-fi?

Wi-fi is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to relieve and grow networks while focusing on where traffic is heaviest. But it has problems that centre on fluctuating performance from a noisy spectrum and spotty signals.

Conceived as a consumer technology of convenience for the home, wi-fi was never developed to perform acts demanded by today’s user – streaming full-motion HD video, Skype or servicing crowds at public venues.

Enterprises and their solution providers must rethink infrastructure architectures from the outside in – with a keen eye on managing spectrum, latency and delay that kills multimedia transmissions.