Wireless and mobile should take another step toward
maturing in the coming year. Too often, the information
chain, which has been the foundation of the "real-time
enterprise," has broken when workers are mobile.
Truck drivers are out of touch while they transport
products to customers, and managers may fail to see
important e-mails while traveling on business. Wirelesss
connectivity completes the information chain.
Hints of a pervasive computing universe driven in
large part by wireless technology are all around us
within both work and personal environments. A few examples:
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Wireless networking technology
(WIFI) has become both affordable and reliable
with high speed just around the corner. This means
that a workgroup can be set up on the fly—anywhere.
The Dave Matthews Band uses WIFI technology on the
road to set up for a performance. The Red Cross
creates instant warehouses in the midst of a disaster
with wireless LAN technology. |
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Johnny Rocket’s enables wireless
ordering from a web-enabled cell phone. Simple
screens and simple commands make this a snap. Domino’s
Pizza is testing a similar system in Las Vegas.
They’ve discovered that the average wireless
order is 15% larger than a phone in. |
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In an industrial work environment,
Martin Dunsby of Deloitte Consulting suggests an
exponential productivity gain from wireless PDAs:
“If the return on going from a laptop to a
PDA is X, then the return from going from a clipboard
to a PDA is 5X!” |
Benefits of pervasive computing flow just as easily
to small and medium size companies as to the giants.
Why? Simple. Low cost, user-friendly solutions enable
business owners to create a rapid and measurable return
on their technology investment.
Internet Access: High speed
+ always on = productivity gains
You might as well be using a typewriter if you are
trying to operate a business with a dial-up Internet
connection. Speed is second only to uptime when it comes
to business-level Internet access, and the best way
to guarantee both is to use broadband.
Any business that is managing its own Web site, exchanging
e-mail and files, using the latest VPN (virtual private
network) technology, or running a videoconferencing
solution will want to graduate to a faster, reliable
broadband connection that can be shared with every worker
in the office. Small companies have several options.
DSL
DSL (digital subscriber line) service provides scalable,
always-on, two-way, high-speed communications over existing
phone lines. As a result, it doesn't demand new wiring,
and the number of subscribers doesn't affect the speed
or the quality of the connection. Since the service
is usually offered with traditional telephone services
as well as Web hosting, e-mail, security, and network
services, it can also eliminate costs and confusion
in your billing department.
Users of DSL have two main concerns: Service and security.
Downtime is rare, but your office must be within three
cable miles of one of your telecommunications provider's
service offices to use the technology. Many analysts
consider it dead-end technology providing just a short-term
fix, but if your connectivity needs are relatively modest,
DSL may be for you.
 Two
Way Cable to the Net
This popular consumer technology has yet to make much
headway in office parks and high-rises, although it’s
a popular home office choice. Because cable involves
shared connections, Internet access speed depends on
the number of users in your area. More users means slower
service-- particularly during peak usage times.
With a cable connection most customers can expect average
download speeds of about 1Mbps to 2Mbps (up to 256Kbps
for uploads). Cable, like DSL, is an always-on connection,
so appropriate safeguards, such as firewalls, need to
be taken. Prices vary, running anywhere from $30 to
$100 a month, plus installation fees. Both Ethernet
and USB connections are available with easy installation
kits widely available.
T1—1.544 Mbps speed is affordable at last
Recent market pressures caused by the introduction of
DSL and cable have caused prices to plunge. In fact,
a standard T1 connection in our region is available
for as little as $500/month—and can combine both
voice and data. The advantage of T1 service is reliability
and consistency. Unlike cable and DSL, leased line service
offers quick speeds for both uploading and downloading
data and a dedicated, secure connection. Smaller companies
can save even more money by leasing only part of a shared
T1 line, often called fractional T1.
Virtual Private Networks: Wide Area
Networks for Everyone
Many businesses have turned to virtual private networks
(VPNs) for cost-effective communications technology.
VPNs use secure connections over the Internet, instead
of dedicated cabling, to link geographically dispersed
locations. Therefore, the cost of electronically connecting
with employees, partners and customers plummets.
VPNs especially make sense for companies that need
to: add or improve extranet connectivity, communicate
across an intranet among multiple sites, or give mobile
employees and home workers access to applications residing
on the corporate LAN.
First of all, you'll need to decide which type of VPN
best suits your
company. VPNs come in three basic flavors:
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Remote access VPNs that connect tele-workers
and mobile users to the WAN. |
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Intranet VPNs connect branch offices
and home offices within a business WAN. |
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Extranet VPNs boost company-to-company
collaboration by giving business partners, suppliers
and sometimes even customers limited access to a
business WAN. |
Secondly, you'll have to consider which applications
you want to run. VPNs are especially useful for customer
service, sales, collaboration, document/application
sharing, and security applications.
Next, you'll need to decide how your VPN will be hosted.
You certainly can build and maintain your own VPN. Most
small and midsized businesses, though, find it easier
to contract with a service provider. Many network service
providers already offer a portfolio of VPN services.
Finally, you'll have to think about how your VPN will
integrate into your existing network and how it will
scale. Remember--you don't need to make a single, all-or-nothing
decision about your VPN. VPNs can be easily phased into
existing private network infrastructures, offering a
highly flexible migration path.
VPNs are quickly becoming vital for growing businesses.
As remote communication grows, there's a compelling
need for a WAN technology that is secure, provides ready
connectivity to new sites, can quickly add users, is
easy to use, has a global reach and is highly affordable.
VPNs meet all these demanding criteria.
Handhelds: Road Warrior Weapon
of Choice
As road warriors leave their paper based day planners
in the dust, they must choose from the myriad of electronic
handheld products and platforms on the market. With
so much to choose from, it's not easy to know where
to start. It may help to put the products into categories
to simplify the task.
 Today
there are five categories to consider; Two-way messaging
systems or smart pagers, Palm OS products also known
as Personal Digital Assistants or PDA's, Windows CE
devices dubbed as Pocket PC's, Handheld PC's (HPC's)
and Smart Phones.
Most companies that have integrated miniature hardware
into their operations attest to the fact that PDAs and
other miniature technology have led to improved customer
service and client relations and, after the initial
capital outlay, reduced costs by anywhere from 5-15
percent. A by-product has been fewer errors and faster
processing.
The miniature technology boom hasn't been lost on the
computer industry, which is realizing dramatic growth
as mobile computing catches on. An article in Mobile
Computing magazine says that Wit SoundView Corporation,
a New York-based technology investment banking firm,
reported that 60 percent of corporate IT managers plan
to add hand-held devices to their corporate standards
list within twelve months. Dataquest of San Jose estimates
that 15.7 million hand-held devices will be sold this
year, up from 8.2 million last year.
High Five for WIFI
WiFi has finally reached critical mass, allowing computer
users to access the Internet without being tethered
to a network connector at a maximum speed of 11mbps.
It is already used by an estimated 8 million wireless
networks in U.S. offices and homes. The current standards
(802.11b and 802.11g), a further
refinement, 802.11n will be available this year and
will be compatible with each of the previous standards.
Soon nobody will consider a laptop or tablet PC that
can't connect to a WiFi network.
Vic Hayes, of Agere Systems (considered by many the
father of WIFI suggested in a CNET interview “By
the end of the year, I estimate that we reach over the 100mbps.”
He noted that at that speed, the warehouse picker, would
be able see the device he has to pick up on a screen
rather than looking for a part number.
Starbucks Corp. offers WIFI service in nearly 2,000
coffee shops, and Borders Bookstores are deploying the
technology nationwide. FedEx Corp. has been using WIFI
for two years at its airport hubs and ramps to quickly
sort 3.5 million packages each night, says Ken Pasley,
director of wireless mobile architecture. FedEx also
has WIFI in its offices, letting people move around
buildings with their laptops or at a Starbucks.
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