There are three primary ways a managed WiFi network can change the way an office runs.
So says Vox Telecom executive head of network and operations, Shane Chorley, who says WiFi can boost productivity, bring customers through the door and improve communication.
"If employees have to stay tied to their desks if they want to be online, their productivity is being killed," says Chorley. They should be able to fire off a quote or check their e-mail whether they're in a meeting, having a smoke break on the stoep, or taking a coffee break in the canteen."
Chorley points out that this is especially important for customer-facing staff. "If a client comes in to look at a car, or have their tyres changed, or get an insurance assessment, their time is being wasted if one has to go back to a desk or send them somewhere else to generate a quote. A sales rep armed with a WiFi-enabled tablet can give much faster, more appropriate service."
Restaurants were the first to realise that free WiFi could be beneficial to their businesses, as it brought customers through their doors, but they won't be the last, he says. "If I have a choice of two places to get my tyres changed, and one of them offers free Internet access while I wait, guess which one I'll choose?"
But there are many more possibilities, says Chorley. "Combine free WiFi with location awareness and push advertising and you have a powerful marketing tool," he says. "If a mall offers WiFi to every customer who enters, for example, a clothing store can easily advertise its jeans promotion to every device connected nearby - and then track exactly who comes in the door as a result."
Regarding improved communication, Chorley says e-mail has become so cluttered that many people hardly read it anymore. "It's a terrible way to send round an office memo or advertise today's lunch specials. With WiFi access enabled for everyone on the premises, it's easy to push alerts and ads through to their mobile devices.
"It's all about extending a corporate network to its edge," says Chorley. "Companies need to do it right to maintain security and ensure good service levels - but once an enterprise has the platform in place, it opens a wealth of new possibilities."
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