Undoubtedly wireless technology has, in the last few years, significantly changed the way people and enterprises communicate and conduct business.
But has it kept all its promises and are we really ready for future developments and benefits that come from it?
For many IT managers, wireless is still a brave new world. And while wireless voice technologies have become all-but-ubiquitous, the deployment of wireless data solutions is not so widespread.
Graham Vorster, chief technology officer at Duxbury Networking, says many companies have yet to face the challenges of implementing wireless data systems. "It`s no longer a matter of if, but when," he comments.
"At some point you are going to have to put information into a mobile device that will make current employees more productive than they are today."
The key challenge is that while wireless communication systems consist of only two components - the telephone and the enabling network, wireless data systems are far more complex, encompassing the target devices, wireless networks plus data and content itself.
As wireless data solutions proliferate, the line between internal enterprise networks and external data applications becomes fuzzier.
More organisations - locally as well as globally - are using intranets to manage and distribute information among users inside the company, while offering specific applications and data to customers and business partners beyond the firewall.
The challenge, however, is to look at the bigger picture. Vorster advises that companies should first look at their internal business process.
"Keep in mind that what you`re trying to do is to extend your business processes by implementing a mobile wireless data solution that consists of components that enable corporate applications and data to be delivered over a wireless network.
"This is why it is important that a content management structure is established, enabling the successful deployment of a wireless data solution. The bottom line is, companies need to get back to the content data management principles of their business," he says.
"For example, an assessment should be made of the quality of content and what types of content needs to be delivered.
"Most importantly, an organisation must ensure that the wireless roll-out will still be beneficial in a year."
But how do IT managers with limited access to a crystal ball ensure that their wireless data solution does benefit them in the long-term? Vorster recommends that they look at early adopters.
"All the challenges they`ve encountered and the different techniques they`ve developed to overcome those challenges will enable you to steer clear from time-consuming and costly obstacles."
Many of the earliest wireless systems were implemented over wireless LANs - deployed in environments such as warehouses, retail and manufacturing plant.
Wireless LANs are likely to continue to be a main driver of growth in the mobile wireless data market.
US-based research authority InfoTech Primary Market Research believes that increasing comfort levels of users with WLAN technology - which will evolve as a robust, secure and convenient option - will be significant factors in this growth.
Companies deploying wireless data solutions will also have to keep in mind that the five-nines (99.999%) will become an even more critical element of their IT infrastructure.
"A company might be prepared to tolerate bad availability from their internal IT department," says Vorster, "but as soon as you start exposing yourself to outside customers, the cost of downtime becomes a very different equation.
"What a lot of organisations fail to realise is that if a salesperson out in the field can`t get the information they need, the costs can be significant."
In spite of all the obvious challenges and obstacles, wireless still remains a compelling technology. Deploying wireless data solutions might look daunting now, but in a few years companies won`t be able to function without it.
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