Stand Ready For Wireless Windfall
WiMax and the emerging 802.11n standard are two technologies promising rapid change in the wireless networking arena.
The 802.11n standard increases the speed of Wi-Fi to 108 Mbps and addresses quality-of-service issues. The new standard ultimately could eliminate wired Fast Ethernet from businesses of all sizesfrom the SMB sector all the way to the enterprise.
Eliminating wired connections would also accelerate the adoption of VoIP technologies and solutions. Wireless videoconferencing and high-speed backup capabilities would also become a reality with 802.11n.
WiMax, meanwhile, promises to bring broadband networking to the masses by eliminating the "last mile" of copper used by today's broadband solutions. WiMax is poised to become the next disruptive technology in both the broadband and wireless arenas. By freeing broadband communications of traditional telco or cable TV connections, many deployment issues are eliminated. Just imagine: no more rewiring, no three-hour time window waiting for a technician to visit. WiMax will certainly bring some much-needed competition to the limited cable/telco base of broadband purveyors.
Strangely, though, those industries also have the most to gain from WiMax adoption. After all, cable and telco companies own a piece of every utility pole. By repurposing phone booths to act as WiMax repeaters, profits can be made without much investment.
The Bluetooth technology, though slow to catch on, is finally gaining acceptance in the PC world. The number of Bluetooth-enabled devicesmainly cellular phones and MP3 playersincreases every day. But Bluetooth has its own set of problems, including interference on the 2.4GHz radio spectrum, severely limited range and slow speeds.
The promises of Ultra-WideBand (UWB) technologypotentially a wireless replacement for IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and USBcould also reshape the future wireless market. UWB operates in the 3.2GHz to 10.6GHz range and can scale up to speeds in the hundreds-of-Mbps range. UWB can improve most personal electronics and computing devices from digital projectors to HDTV monitors to scanners, truly creating communications without wires.
Wimax, 802.11n, Bluetooth and UWB all have the potential to completely reinvent the way IT and consumer-electronics devices operate. What does all of this mean to the solution provider? Get ready to reap the profits from security solutions and wireless installations.
Where do you see the wireless promise? Let me know via e-mail at [email protected].