This is not a coincidence: enterprises are not moving to Wi-Fi networks for end-users because it is trendy, but because it is more productive. A comprehensive survey conducted by Cisco, the leading networking equipment manufacturer, has shown that BYOD alone – which is one of the primary drivers behind the move to a Wi-Fi-first approach to end-user networking – reduces hardware and maintenance costs and can significantly increase employee productivity.
The sharp rise in Wi-Fi installation has also radically altered the way company networks are planned and implemented. The backbone of networks that use Wi-Fi for user access is a high-performance wired network since the aggregated traffic of the dozens or hundreds of access points in an office building requires massive bandwidth and high-speed network equipment. Consequently, even though end-users see fewer cables and less network equipment under their desks, the cable planning and deployment efforts are still significant.
However, the deployment of Wi-Fi networks as a main support for network activity, rather than just for additional coverage, as a perk or last resort, has given rise to an additional challenge: planning the installation of wireless access points and equipment so as to guarantee a high level of performance throughout the office (and especially in the work and meeting areas) and to support the increased equipment and employee mobility. This process – known as the Wi-Fi survey – is specific to wireless networks, which have to cope with the additional mobility that they facilitate and with high expectations in terms of coverage and availability. The fact that users can move more freely around the office means that the number of users that an access point needs to service can vary dramatically and that sections of the office that a wired-only network would not have covered now need to be covered by the Wi-Fi network.
