TABLE OF CONTENTS WLANs are being implemented in scores of business settings; in some cases, the expected return on investment is as simple as improving business meetings by giving workers easy access to network data on their laptops. But the potential benefits of WLANs reach far beyond simple wireless computing.
For many employees, just the ability to get information in real time is key. Whether it s a salesperson at the airport who can close a deal because he can check inventory, or a worker in a car manufacturing plant who can check the availability of a certain part without leaving his work area, quick access is often the most important reason to deploy a WLAN or set up workers with WLAN-enabled hardware.
In retail settings such as coffee shops or even airports, simple Internet access is a top attraction. To take it a step further, setting up workers with access to corporate email can prove invaluable if they re in a position to make use of interchanges on the spot (sales representatives, for example).
While definitely one of the more marginal uses of WLAN right now, wireless ordering has been deployed in some sports stadiums. Fans can order their hot dogs and beverages from wireless terminals at their seats, saving them from missing game highlights and saving wait staff from navigating through the crowded stands to take orders.
