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!  

Just how much do we rely on WiFi and do we frequent establishments without it?

You know the drill, pop out for coffee, find table, turn WiFi on, connect to coffee shops free WiFi, save on your data and get your daily Facebook or news fix while sipping your double shot latte. But, would you stay as long as you do, order that extra coffee or pastry or even go there at all without the free WiFi?

Just this week, the tourist town of Taos in New Mexico had its major fibre optic cable severed and all connection to the town was lost. Just one hotel kept its connection, the rest of the stores, coffee shops, hotels and homes lost their connection. Mobile phone coverage went down, WiFi went off and the town grew quiet from the buzz of communication save for the old age of conversation.

Just how much do we rely on the internet, our tablets and our phones to communicate? Even birthday and Christmas cards are sent using online card companies with local high street stores facing administration. The art of looking for the perfect card is now just a click away.

We use our phones and their wireless coverage for everything from shopping to sending a simple email. Our weekly shop is stored in an app and delivered to our door, if we were to actually drive to the store, would we even know where the items we wanted were?

This may all sound negative but communication using Wi-Fi is also fundamental. We have to travel on business, using apps like Facetime or Skype allow other halves and children to maintain contact with their partner or parents. Skype bridges the gap across oceans to allow us to see our loved ones or conduct a business meeting without costly air miles. Also saving valuable green miles using the airwaves over the train, car or air travel.

Offering free Wi-Fi drives sales to your business, offering a free hot spot ensures customers stay for longer and have an added bonus of using your office, store or restaurant. We are a time poor society, gone are the long business lunch days, now it is a quick hour-long lunch as can be seen by Wolfgang Pucks hour lunch menu at Cut. Within the hour we need to socialise, secure the deal and check in to the office to ensure that last minute email arrived and the deal is done before the overseas office is closed.

Walk into an office when the internet has gone down and see the panic..... We rely so heavily on our internet connection these days, that the demand for greater bandwidth and more reliable solutions is becoming the need and driver for so many business and organisations.  

If only Taos had thought about a resilient or more reliable solution.  Could wireless backhaul be the answer?  We certainly think so!

Leased Line Replacement

With the current economic climate, investing in your infrastructure and data network maybe the last thing on your mind? But, with on-going maintenance support and expensive subscription costs for your existing IT network often in excess of £10K a year per circuit, how much difference would a saving of over 25% per annum make to your bottom line?

Installing a wireless network doesn't mean a considerable investment, the ROI can be returned in a matter of years leaving you with ownership of your network and a simple to manage service level agreement in place. 

There is also the small matter of bandwidth. With technology constantly evolving, applications like live streaming, video conferencing and Cloud based applications are all becoming commonplace in today’s work place, traditional technologies simply can’t deliver the required speeds, and the battle for fast, reliable and flexible internet connectivity has begun.   

These fixed line cable alternatives also often come with data limits, extensive fees, and additional costs for larger bandwidth speeds, many are locked and limited for certain applications only, the user has limited access and control to their own systems.   As a result, many businesses are finding their forecasted costs can double, come the end of the financial year, purely to accommodate for changes or alterations to their network.   

And what happens when there’s a problem? The circuit goes down, the company halts and has to wait for an outside party to diagnose and fix the problem, costing both valuable time and money. There is also the worry of fixed lines being cut during construction projects or road works, lines not working at critical times and extreme weather damaging reliability.

Finally, there is the wait time for a circuit to be installed and activated. Often a connection can be required within the same week, but with fixed lines having to be installed and connected and there not always being an existing circuit in place to the building, a week turnaround is nigh on impossible. Most fixed lines providers give a 60day “go live” date from the initial enquiry, in this time they will conduct their survey, and in many cases advise customers of extensive extra construction costs.  We have seen these costs spiral to in excess of £100k for one single circuit from some providers.

However, this is not so with wireless. A connection can be requested, planned, implemented and installed in under a week, and in some cases in less than 24hrs for disaster recovery projects.  Wireless can also be installed as a short term fix, no need to sign lengthy contracts for 12, 24, 36 months terms, we can supply a solution for as little as 24hrs, providing complete flexibility.

Cambium Point-to-Point (PTP) and Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) Wireless Broadband solutions, installed by APC Solutions, advantages can be substantial. First, you can eliminate or significantly reduce monthly lease fees. Overall network performance can be upgraded, which is especially important to support today’s in-demand, real-time applications such as Voice-over-IP, video surveillance, and video conferencing.

In many networks, local access is the most problematic point of network congestion. Wireless broadband can provide a stable, high-performance platform to ease local-access bottlenecks. Wireless also enables agile and flexible bandwidth provisioning that can be easily and quickly scaled up or down to match dynamic traffic patterns. Its unique, problem-solving technology is also able to increase reliability and connect remote, hard-to-reach locations while offering exceptional quality of service. Plus, its non-line-of-sight (NLOS) systems communicate steadfastly in some of the most challenging environments on earth.

VERSATILITY

APC Solutions Cambium Networks PTP and PMP wireless solutions can support a wide range of network applications, including:

• Replacing leased-line service with wireless broadband

• Extending fiber networks with wireless

• Deploying a wireless backup network to ensure business continuity

• Furthering network migration by integrating wireless into hybrid networks

Optimising network performance and extending network services to additional users while containing costs is an ongoing process. With systems that deliver up to 700 Mbps aggregate throughput, APC solutions can transmit high-definition video very efficiently. High quality-of-service and low latency – as low as 1.7 milliseconds – can protect the quality of voice communications.

Fixed wireless networks are significantly more cost-effective and faster-to-deploy solutions. Systems can be planned and deployed in a matter of days or weeks rather than months or years. Equally important, cost of expansion is significantly reduced. Plus our PTP and PMP systems can perform reliably over long distances, in obstructed environments and high interference, as well as severe weather conditions.

BETTER RESULTS WITH LESS COST

There are two major reasons to replace leased-line service with APC Solutions Cambium Wireless Broadband – eliminate or reduce leased-line charges and improve network performance. As requirements for bandwidth continue to increase and budgets continue to shrink, its wireless broadband solutions can offer significant bottom-line benefits.

With more than 3.5 million PMP units and more than 60,000 PTP systems deployed worldwide. APC and Cambium Networks have the experience to help you design a wireless solution that best meets your specific needs. Working with its global network, it has successfully deployed wireless solutions in a wide variety of business and government organisations. APC Solutions has the solutions, partners, and expertise to help realise greater value and performance from your communications networks.