Connectivity on the golf course? Fore for Wi-Fi!

According to V3 the PGA European Tour has confirmed plans to roll out high performance WiFi to all participating golf courses.  With the PGA tour visiting 52 countries and with many offering unreliable 3 or 4G networks, it was vital the PGA used wireless technology to allow for live streaming and a consistent network. 

At APC, we deploy networks across the globe from golf estates in South Africa to oil rigs in the middle of the Black Sea. In the UK, we've supplied temporary connectivity to construction sites including the Shard and connected multiple car dealerships across the country.

For most of our clients, speed of installation is key. If the client is working on a short term project the installation of a leased line connection can take several months, for APC’s wireless networks, we take the time frame down to days.

We live in information overload. Gone are the days of turning up at a tournament purely to watch the game? Now, we want to watch the game and re-stream the bits we missed while we went to get a drink. We want to upload our photos instantly whilst connecting to the local Wi-Fi and we don’t want to have to pay for the privilege.

Customers demand connectivity be that at the local store, coffee house, hotel or gig venue. The phase free Wi-Fi used to be a selling point, now, it’s expected. With celebrities taking to social networks to launch albums, show their latest photos and update their fans on their whereabouts, it’s expected that they Tweet a picture of them about to go down to the golf course or at the latest hot spot.

Installing a Wi-Fi network also allows the promoter extra revenue opening up the network to advertisers and companies within the local area. Need a hotel nearby? Here’s one with a discounted rate for those attending the golf. Something to eat, here’s the pre golf menu.  Gone are the days where we meander down the road in the hope to find a pub on the way, now we connect and find the nearest pub, download the offer voucher and book a table all from our phone or tablet, and then we tweet or Facebook to say we’re going there and how it was.

So can your business, event, golf course or coffee shop survive without Wi-Fi? Sure, but with it, it will succeed.

Can your business be without a Wireless LAN (WLAN) network?

A recent survey by Information Weekly said that of the 419 respondents 89% use 802.11n technologies as an access method for end users which is up from 76% in September 2010. A huge increase to the latest equipment. Nearly a quarter of the respondents also reported that traffic had exploded over the last year.

With smart, iphone and android devices being launched each week, the evolution to 4G well under way and the huge boost tablets have given to the wireless market, can companies afford not to be using the latest wireless equipment? Over 45% of those surveyed were planning to deploy the latest 802.11ac as soon as it was available.

But, do companies need to keep abreast of the latest wireless LAN developments? Or can they settle for their current technology? This, of course, depends on the extent of their wireless network. If their office phones and computers are supported by traditional connections and their wireless access is only acting as a support for mobile devices and laptops then there is an argument to say, stay put for a while, keep at the “n” standard and maintain a steady, if slightly slower connection.

However, if the office is a hive of hot desk activity, cloud based storage and tablet happy then can you afford not to upgrade? No. The initial cost of upgrading the equipment can be recouped in a short period of time, in some cases less than 6 months from initial installation, with the network already in place the upgrade can take as little as a day.

But can the financial outlay be justified? Yes, if you need your office space, distribution centre or even airport to supply a high speed network with almost zero downtime or drop in speed the cost takes care of itself. With tablets and smart phone technology changing quickly, renewal contracts shortening and refresh packages now commonplace, the usual 24 month contract is being replaced by 6, 12 or even monthly renewal periods.

And how do clients react to your network? From the survey 34% have 25% more client traffic sent or received over the wireless network. How will it affect business when the client logs on to your network, only to find the system can’t cope with the 5MB file they’re trying to upload to the office through your internal Wi-Fi access? People don’t expect to have to wait for file uploads or hook their laptop up to the internal cabled network, they expect to key in a code and bang, away the file, email or document goes with no hassle or interruption.

So make the necessary upgrades when available, after all, can you really afford not to? 37% of respondents see wireless networks replacing wired infrastructure within just five years that gives the likes of Apple, Samsung and other leading manufactures enough time to release even further developments!  

Wi-Fi in the air

Commuting is part and parcel of working life be this a short stroll to work for a very lucky few to the endless train or car journey to the office. For some, it may even involve hoping on a plane. One thing is for sure though, the time to and from work can be utilised to reduce the hours you have to spend in the office thanks to the addition of Wi-Fi hot spots.

For those that have to drive sadly there’s not much chance of finishing that last minute presentation but for those on public transport, the addition of Wi-Fi hot spots and connectivity has opened the gates for extra working hours.

Got to travel for business, still need to catch up on emails or send the presentation over before you land? No problem. Simply check if your flight has a Wi-Fi symbol next to it.... and you thought ordering your food choice was as complicated as it got?

You can even buy a wireless card courtesy of Go Go in-flight internet allowing you to surf till your heart’s content for a mere few dollars when pre purchased for US flights. 

Over 38% off domestic flights in the US now have Wi-Fi access which has grown from 5% to 7% per year. There is also set to be an even larger rate of increase as more company’s roll out the satellite based technology.

Now even 120 London underground tube stations also have access to the internet provided either through monthly contract with selected ISPs or a pre paid daily, weekly or monthly subscription.

But, is it worth it? Surely, when we have free internet access at work already or can pop to Starbucks or McDonalds at lunch and log on for free, are the commuter services just cashing in on our need for constant data? In one sense, yes, it does bring in extra revenue to the flight and rail services but the benefit to the customer can out way the cost.

With house prices still high in city locations despite the economic downturn, we have had to up sticks and join the waft of commuters filing onto the trains in the morning. With train journeys taking upwards of an hour, that extra time to finish documents, arrange meetings and clear down your inbox can be hugely beneficial.

Time travelling internationally used to eat into the working day, flights would be booked early to ensure the working day would not be affected but now, with on-board Wi-Fi your office can be tens of thousands of feet high in the sky and no one need be any wiser to your location.

Obviously, the time spent travelling does not have to be used for work. Catching up on the latest Apprentice episode, the news or instagram video can all be done while waiting for the train. And with many companies banning the use of social networking sites during working hours, the need to find out whose done what can be intense.

With smart phone and tablets already offering us connection via our data plans we can of course  just use our phones but there’s something alluring about turning the Wi-Fi on, the extra speed, potential cost saving when using free Wi-Fi and the capacity to send and receive higher bandwidths can be just too tempting.

So embrace the Wi-Fi revolution, log on where you can, buy the monthly cards to save you cash and of course, ensure your business has free Wi-Fi to bring in the punters. 

BYOD security debate rumbles on

A report issued recently by analyst firm Garter confirms worldwide security software revenues reached $19.2bn in 2012 compared to $17.7bn in 2011. As the BYOD debate rumbles on, are firms prepared to increase their security outlay to ensure employees own devices are safe?

The rise of employees using their own tablets, phones and laptops has meant companies need to consider their company security. Should a device be left on the train home or local coffee house, without the necessary security encryption, a company’s security could be breached and once it is breached, the BYOD debate really kicks off.

So can a company really afford to allow its employees to bring their devices to work? Of course, but only if strict security guidelines are followed and of course, regularly updated. There is no point rolling out a security programme, ensuing your employee has the relevant software on all their devices to find that the contract lapsed a month ago? Companies need to ensure their IT departments are constantly on top of their security and of course, ensure employees are willing to work with them to ensure the safety of company files and information.

Is it easier to not allow employees to bring their own devices into the work place? Of course, but is it practical? No. With the latest versions being released yearly if not more frequently, companies cannot keep abreast of the latest versions and why would an employee use an old version when their own device is quicker, more reliable and easier to use?

So, it looks like the security firms revenue is set to increase further over the next few years. But, could the technology firms cash in on the BYOD revolution? By working with companies to offer their own range of security protection if the device is used at work, could companies bridge the gap between employees own and company owned devices. As the customer purchased their device, if their company was registered with the retailer could the security be added to the device in store to the company’s desired spec? For instance, if the company approaches a retailer, ensures its employees purchase their own devices from said supplier at a discount and have it work ready? Could this ensure that employees can still have the freedom of their own device and allow them to upgrade in their own time but at a discount and protected by the employer? It would certainly make it easier to manage.

However, until that happens, it is left with employees to be honest of their own device usage and for companies to be vigilant of their security software updates. Of course, as long as employees cannot access the company network without specific log in details this will allow the company to keep on top of this. But security is and always will be paramount to BYOD being integrated into best working practice.