Some 64% of European and US companies intend to deploy
wireless local-area network (WLan) technology in the next year,
according to a survey from Gartner.
Productivity and mobility are motivating 44% of the 200 firms
surveyed to adopt the technology. A further 21% see the ability to
provide access to places where wiring isn’t possible as key.
The report points out that WLans are no longer found in meeting
rooms, but are becoming a standard part of enterprise networks.
“However, as wireless Lans expand from conference rooms to the
whole enterprise, concerns about security and network management
are rising,” says Gartner analyst Rachna Ahlawat.
“We’ve gone from thinking of offices as network nodes to
considering each employee as a node on a wired network. Now every
major physical item the company owns is becoming a node on a
wireless network.”
Almost all the respondents rank security in their top five
concerns and 60% do not believe they have adequate security for
their wireless environment.