March 3rd, 2016 by admin
In the quest for mobility, wireless solutions play a vital role in a company’s ability to move around freely while maintaining their productivity. A
2010 study from AT&T found that 65% of small businesses depend on wireless solutions for the survival of their business. Let’s take a look at what wireless solutions are and how they impact the small to medium sized business world.
Types of Wireless Solutions Used in Businesses
Many companies all over the world use a variety of wireless solutions in their day-to-day operations. There are three types of wireless technology used in businesses: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Infrared. Wi-Fi has been the most adopted wireless solution thus far, however, companies are noticing a shift towards utilizing Bluetooth and Infrared technologies as well.
Bluetooth
Having come into the market in the early 2000’s, Bluetooth is a relatively new form of wireless technology. It’s a high-speed solution, used to exchange data over short distances and create highly secured personal networks. With Bluetooth capabilities, employees are able to connect phones, laptops, PDAs, and other mobile devices together seamlessly to securely exchange and manage data.
Infrared
While not as highly adopted, Infrared is still a great wireless solution to use in business due to it’s portability and high immunity to interference. Infrared transmitters are designed to both transmit and receive data through rear ports and adapters are often installed on many laptops and mobile devices. Infrared doesn’t require a lot of power, making it the ideal solution for laptops, phones, and PDAs. The directionality of the Infrared beam gives the technology a higher level of security and ensures that data isn’t leaked to nearby devices.
Wi-Fi
Originally designed to be used for laptops and other mobile computers, Wi-Fi has morphed to being able to support areas such as Internet, VoIP, Televisions, and media players. Wi-Fi works by utilizing a series of access points located around the office in order to provide a strong, consistent connection to in-range devices. Creating local area networks with Wi-Fi significantly cuts costs for businesses by being scalable, easy to deploy, and having the ability to integrate with a number of different devices.
Wireless solutions and applications can be used in business for:
- Voice Communications
- Wireless Sensing
- Item Tracking
- Navigation and Location
- Quality Management
- Risk Management
- Networking
- Monitoring
- Energy Management
- Wireless Power Transfer
- Paging / Event Notification
Benefits of Adopting Wireless Solutions in Your Business
Cutting Costs & Improving In-Office Mobility
Wireless solutions such as those listed above can increase a business's efficiency and reduce IT costs dramatically – if implemented correctly. Wireless solutions require very little, if any installation, saving a significant amount of money on installation costs, and reducing the downtime caused by having to run wires all over the office, warehouse or store. With wireless technology like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, employees gain the ability to move around the office while staying connected to important software and applications on any device with wireless capabilities.
Strengthening the Mobile Workforce
Businesses utilizing wireless solutions also gain a powerful advantage over their competitors by creating a stronger mobile workforce. Employees can work remotely or engage in projects in the field and still be accessible. By using any device of their choosing, mobile workers are no longer tied down to a single location in order to do their jobs and can navigate their projects from any location. Technology such as GPS can help mobile workers be more efficient and reduce costs by allowing them to get to appointments on time and locate the cheapest gas and allow management to track vehicles and discover the most efficient routes.
Integrate Applications for Enhanced Efficiency
Nearly everyone in the workforce today has a cell phone or a laptop. Wireless solutions such as Bluetooth utilizes syncing capabilities to maximize those devices usefulness. Cell phones taking advantage of wireless solutions can keep employees in touch and up-to-date by giving them remote access to powerful business applications such as invoicing software, calendars, and email. Devices such as laptops no longer require Ethernet cords to receive Internet connection, making it easier for employees to connect while traveling on the road. These employees can connect from anywhere they happen to be – at a hotel, coffee shop, home, book store, or customer office. When your workforce has access to project development, invoicing, email, and other business applications without having to rely on a desktop device, your business can be more efficient and remain competitive.
Reduce the Wires with IPro Media
IPro Media is well versed in wireless solutions for your small to medium sized business. We take a look at what your business needs to gain mobility both in the office and in the field and implement the best wireless solutions to make it possible. We’ll even go so far as to make sure your wireless technology is completely secure, so you won’t have to worry about hackers or viruses messing up your ability to work on the go.
Partner with us, we’ll take care of you and get your business moving.
Posted in: Blog, Solutions
