Wi-fi is everywhere. It's in cafes, on the back porch, in conference rooms and at people's desks. When mobile devices and internet access have become so engrained in everyday life, organisations need to be vigilant about how they plan, deploy and validate wi-fi connections.
NETSCOUT's director of APAC channels Amit Rao says that wi-fi isn't just about satisfying employees.
“It's not just employees who demand quality Wi-fi. Organisations have a constant stream of customers, suppliers, partners, and contractors visiting each day. Nearly all of them are looking for a signal and a password. Wi-fi demand is also being driven by warehouse operations, retail point-of-sale systems, and a growing range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications,” Rao says.
Wi-fi comes with pros and cons, and presents particular challenges for those who are used to working with wired Ethernet infrastructure.
There are three main challenges:
- Poor coverage and service can impact your business. If employees can't access a business intelligence app or download an email attachment, it means lost productivity and lost revenue. Put that in a broader context and if someone can't close a sale or solve a time-sensitive problem because of wi-fi connectivity issues, the consequences can be far more severe.
- Companies scrambling to scale their wi-fi to business needs may be wasting money. If there isn't clear visibility into wi-fi service levels across the location, organisations may put access points where they're not needed and missing the truly important locations. Organisations can also be pressured into an expensive overhaul or mistake another issue for a capacity or coverage issue.
- Wi-fi is a ‘time sink'. Organisations must ensure performance, whilst being aware that if if performance doesn't meet expectations, they might be inundated with IT tickets.
“To avoid these emerging Wi-fi pain points, organisations need the right methodology, which requires careful planning, deployment, and validation, and the right technology,” Rao concludes.