WiFi Going Corporate

from the once-you-start,-can't-go-back dept

It seems that, like so many technology innovations, once they're put in place, people find all sorts of unintended consequences that change how they use the products. While something like WiFi might seem like a "nice to have" technology for corporations looking to simplify how they wire their building, companies that have installed WiFi for their employees are finding that it changes how people work and makes them more productive. They can now work from anywhere, with less hassle. Meetings go faster because everyone has their laptops and is connected, so they can get whatever information they need on the spot. Also, meetings can happen anywhere. People no longer have to find an open meeting room and spend time connecting machines to the network. Visiting workers don't have to find an open cublicle, but can get right to work from anywhere. Also, as employees go on the road, they can more easily connect from hotspots around the world at airports, hotels, and other places. Of course, anyone who uses WiFi could have told you all of this already, but it seems that some corporate IT execs still see it as just a way to get rid of ethernet networks, and don't see the other advantages.