Deployment Strategies

WiMAX to be put to the test

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

The United States is getting ever closer to widespread licensed WiMAX deployment. Sprint's XOHM service has begun very limited tests and is still scheduled to go public in the second quarter of this year. Customers looking for pricing and purchase models that mimic those used in 3G cellular devices are almost certain to be disappointed--Sprint has made it clear that both monthly service pricing and device subsidies will be significantly different from cell models when WiMAX eventually rolls out. The market is anxiously watching Sprint's WiMAX rollout for clues about what customers will accept, and how the finances will work for the data-centric WiMAX network. Stay tuned…

For more on the WiMAX launch:
- See the complete article at WirelessWeek

7 steps to highly effective mobile

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:59:56 -0500

It's not quite the same as 7 habits, but there are 7 steps a network manager can take to make sure the organization's wireless network segments are as effective as possible. Step one? Recognize the risks of wireless and implement your wireless network around them. Next, know the limits of the technology involved, and protect your data from loss through wireless or other means. Develop metrics for making sure that your network is operating as it's supposed to and to ensure regulatory compliance. Finally, measure your results so you'll know when you're succeeding, and stay flexible as the technology changes. These are simple principles to keep in mind, but they'll serve you well as you move forward with wireless deployments.

For more on effective mobile deployment:
- Read the complete list at eWeek

802.11n rolls out for real

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

After months of talk, it's finally here--the first large-scale 802.11n deployment. At Morrisville State College in New York, a network with 720 802.11n access points from Meru Networks has been rolled out, and the college (not to mention the rest of the 802.11n-wanting world) is waiting to see if 802.11n lives up to the promises. Now that 802.11n is finally moving toward final form, it will be interesting to see if the spec works as well as expected. No formal benchmarks have been run on the Morrisville network yet, but keep checking--numbers will certainly be available soon.

For more on the ground-breaking 802.11n deployment:
- Read the real-world report at NetworkWorld

Handling tricky net deployments

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:59:57 -0500

Sometimes, you know, it's just hard to make a wireless network happen in a particular location. Interference from nearby networks, structural barriers to radio energy, high-risk security concerns--all of these can make for a very difficult installation. You can try improving your WLAN deployment practices, but there are times when new technology is the answer. It's critical to pick the right WLAN partner, and for a growing number of customers the right partner is Ruckus. Ruckus' beam-forming technology can make secure, high-performance deployment possible in environments that border on the impossible.

For more on a Ruckus wireless deployment:
- Read the case study at NetworkWorld

Step through the on-device portal

Sun, 03 Jun 2007 20:01:36 -0400

You know all about the portals of the Web--those Googles, Yahoos, MSNs and other major sites through which so much traffic flows. They're grand for workstations tethered to a broadband or high-speed connection, but what about the growing number of users with a smart phone as their Internet device? An on-device portal (ODP) can enhance the communications and computing experience for users, but these portable portals are still in the early stages of deployment and development. Will an on-device portal be the tool your enterprise needs to keep users productive as they switch to ever-more portable platforms?

For more on ODPs:
Read the analysis at WirelessWeek.

Editor's Corner

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

The future of the mobile web: Which side are you on?

Exciting times for the web as Microsoft presents two very different visions for how the web will be seen on mobile devices. One vision (ZenZui) is a novel expansion of the concept seen in WAP--a separate web page served especially for small screens. The other (Deepfish) is, I think, more exciting because it uses the wireless device to gain its own unique view into an existing web page. In these two products you have an essential view of the split in the ways in which wireless devices are seen in the enterprise: Along one side, they are special devices to be used in limited ways; along the other, they are simply very mobile tools for doing all the things that can be done from any workstation. Deciding which side of the split your organization will follow will inform the decisions you make on deployment, and precisely how deeply integrated into your infrastructure wireless devices may become. My take? Full integration is the winning path. It requires more work (and more thought), but the payoff will be far more rewarding. - Curtis

Push comes to Treo

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Treo users have had to do without a key feature enjoyed by those using Blackberry and Windows Mobile handheld devices; push email wasn't available on the Palm OS machines. Now, an update to the Microsoft ActiveSync application brings push email to organizations that have chosen Treos for mobile deployment. Even if push email doesn't push your buttons, the new Activesync brings benefits; it allows managers to enforce password policies and remotely wipe the data from a Treo if it's lost or stolen. All in all, the new software levels the features playing field between Treo and Blackberry. Managers will have to look deeper to find their basis on which to choose one platform over the other.

For more on the new Treo software:
- read the article at CIO-Today

Symbian CEO looks ahead

Sun, 28 Jan 2007 19:01:37 -0500

Building a better mobile phone application means having a better mobile phone operating system, and the CEO of Symbian says that improved platforms are on the way. In an email interview, he talks about enhanced graphics, better GPS integration and database support as features of mobile phone operating systems coming soon. Mobile phone platforms are evolving so quickly that a sense of the future is critical to intelligent deployment decisions today. Nigel Clifford is in a unique position to talk about where mobile platforms are going--and the path they'll follow to reach the destination.

For more:
- read the entire interview at InformationWeek

How to achieve mobility in 10 easy steps

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 20:01:38 -0400

The first step in creating and rolling out, mobile applications for your wireless workforce is to realize that it has nothing in common with desktop application development. So toss out that mindset. Tech leaders must decide what they want, and what their users need, in order to have a working mobile environment. At the same time, you must work to ensure that your users, as well as your partners and clients, know that mobility platforms and applications usually require hefty changes to management requirements. Then its time to form a mobile assessment team to identify who needs the mobile applications, and what the expected return-on-investment of the effort will be come completion. The final eight steps include policy work, choosing the right application host and the all-important pilot before formal deployment. By taking a 10-step approach to mobile application development, you can create a stable and strong foundation for wireless users in your enterprise. Article

QUICKLINKS: Singapore piloting a WiFi network; Wal-Mart expands RFID deployment ; Much more...

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 20:01:35 -0400

Singapore piloting a WiFi network. Article

Wal-Mart expands RFID deployment with 1,000 locations online. Article

FCC auctions off record-breaking amount of spectrum. Article

Next generation of wireless networking gets big vendor support. Article

Northrop wins NYC bid to build a wireless network. Article

Phone network hacker gets a year of home imprisonment. Article

Integrating VoIP with customer relationship management needs. Article