As a result, we no longer need to work in a static location or be confined by physical boundaries. Companies can enable their people to work from almost any location, and advances in wifi infrastructures are fuelling the growth of digital workplaces and this ‘work from anywhere’ concept.
Over the course of 2016, wifi technology is poised to filter into every aspect of our lives, including cars and even home appliances. In practice, this means you will be able to connect your smartphone or tablet to a wifi network in a friend’s car as a passenger and complete important work emails - or connect to a smart fridge to browse the internet or check your emails.
New wave 2 wifi technology has expanded on the gigabit speeds found in wave 1, making it even faster and more capable. Products such as Ubiquiti Networks support speeds up to 1300Mbps, meaning greater range and faster connections for wireless workforces.
A strong wifi network sits at the heart of these innovations and allows you to expand your workplace effectively. Consider a meeting room, for example. As you enter, it displays your booking, meeting details and provides your guests with wifi access. You don’t need to worry about calling IT to get them 'plugged in' or manually entering details for connectivity. This isn’t future technology; this is happening right now.
The Internet of Things 2015 report projects that, by 2020, businesses will have 11.2 billion IoT devices installed on their networks. With this pace of growth, it’s important to review your own business and working practices to make sure your network infrastructure can cope and - crucially - keep all devices secure.
The move to a digital workplace brings with it benefits, such as productivity boosts and a mobile workforce. It also brings a new set of challenges for businesses. Whatever level of remote or virtual working you incorporate into your day-to-day business activities, you need to make sure you have the right tools in place to deliver maximum network uptime and – crucially – impenetrable network security. This means understanding and installing the correct firewalls, wireless controllers, access points and encryption protocols.
The team at Dynamic Networks can support and guide you through the move to a digital workplace at the pace that's right for your business, helping you overcome any challenges through proactive wifi and network security services. Talk to us to find out more.