Technology unlimited

Wireless technology is improving and evolving all the time, taking the world of networking to even greater heights.

For computer users, Wi-Fi has opened up a whole world of freedom and mobility. But Wi-Fi is not meant only for computers. The newer PDAs that support Wi-Fi can also be used to connect to the wireless network for internet surfing, e-mailing and even to synchronise data between a PDA and computer.

According to Hishamul Hasheel, Technical Sales Manager, U.S. Robotics Middle East and North Africa, wireless deployments are increasing across the Middle East and especially in the UAE there has been a tremendous uptake of wireless as a means for networking at home.

Wireless is the simple way of communication because of the flexibility, convenience, mobility and scalability, and home-based networking, broadband proliferation and converged networks are all contributing to the increasing wireless adoption.

The wireless networking business has grown multi-fold in the Middle East, and the UAE in particular, over the last two years and with improved security, coverage, range, upgradeability and flexibility of wireless LAN technologies, users now have access to the internet 24/7 through laptops, PDAs and other handheld devices enabled for Wi-Fi networks.

Wireless hot spots

In the UAE there are new hot spots mushrooming every day at airports, coffee shops, restaurants, airports etc and increased availability of high-speed internet through ADSL, IPTV and also the wireless outdoor networks are becoming the order of the day. Contrary to perception, wireless networks are much easier than wired networks, less expensive and in many ways a simpler technology to manage.

Hence wireless networks form an integral part of home and home office networks.

Changing trends

"Usage-wise we are definitely seeing an increase over the last few years. The trends across the Middle East are changing. In fact, we recently announced the industry's first unified switch for small and medium businesses (SMBs) that converges wired and wireless networking functionality and includes Power over Ethernet (PoE) to support Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony on a single platform," says Tahir Khan, Systems Engineer, 3Com Middle East.

"The 3Com Unified Gigabit Wireless PoE Switch 24 is an easy to deploy and manage solution that is cost-effective and designed for SMBs that want all the elements of a business-class network, as well as a platform for delivering advanced communications solutions such as wireless and VoIP in one box," he says.

SME networks are also transforming fast into wireless hybrid networks. Total cost of ownership (TCO) and improved ROI (return on investment) are fuelling the adoption of wireless networks across SME networks.

"The wired network will still form the backbone of any enterprise or SME network. The wireless network will replace the exterior network of any organisation for a more simplified networking environment," says Hasheel of U.S. Robotics.

Outdoor networking

"Wireless LAN is exploring the UAE market in all the segments such as consumer, home and SOHO (small office home office). Wireless outdoor networking still needs more developments and maturity in this market, as there are lot of RF spectrum regulations and policies driven by the TRA that limits the growth and adoption of this technology.

"With the advent of wireless VoIP technology and the increasing number of ADSL ports, wireless technology is all poised to take new heights in this market," says Hasheel.

10 reasons to switch to Wireless

- Pre-deployment site planning - customised, automated site planning tools improve savings on installation costs.

- Simple and secure setup - simplifies management complexity to decrease ongoing administrative expenses.

- Centralised management - delivers centralised visibility and control of wireless LANs (WLANs); reduces costs of WLAN capital expenses while improving management ease.

- Automated access point (AP) management - centralised network controls improve AP coverage and service, including gain optimisation and peak load balancing.

- Rogue detection and isolation - increase awareness of Radio Frequency (RF) environment, identifying rogue APs and other potential infiltrators.

- User and group security profiles - enhance user and/or group security and enforcement, create virtual private groups for unique requirements.

- Mobility and fast roaming - allow users to connect once and roam throughout the network with true session integrity.

- Monitoring and alerting - provide real-time operation information to quickly detect problems and improve security and optimisation of the network, even locate users.

- Supports future wireless requirements today - Voice-ready Class of Service (CoS) and Quality of Service (QoS).

- Reduce costs - from equipment implementation to ongoing administrative expenses, the WLAN switching solution makes it easy without compromising features or integrity.