TABLE OF CONTENTS Wi-Fi and its 802.11 series of specifications are traveling a similar evolutionary path to their wired equivalent, Ethernet and the 802.3 standards. Over the next two or three years we will see increases in transmitted bit-rates, and additional functionality in the areas of QoS, security, and power control. But the question that begs to be asked is, "Can Wi-Fi, like its wired counterpart, achieve the goal of the 'ever present' wireless network?" The answer is, "maybe." It certainly seems that the industry is moving in the right direction.
At this very moment battles are raging between IT departments, with their concern about security, and employees who demand networking freedom. Slowly, mobility is winning. "Once people have wireless inside their offices," says Frank Keeney, co-founder of the Southern California Wireless Users Group, "they never want to go back. It's a tremendous productivity tool." That goes double for road warriors, the real source of potential wealth in the wider Wi-Fi world. These corporate nomads, who number 11 million or more in the U.S. alone, encompass field sales representatives, insurance adjusters, real estate agents, delivery managers, and more.
Even the most technophobic CEO can imagine the benefit of a salesperson tapping into a database minutes before he or she sits down with a client; or a field service technician dialing up and instantly accessing a copy of a technical manual.
A wide variety of new devices are now available, such as...
